


At all costs

by AvengersAU



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Love, Major Character Injury, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2020-08-09 21:00:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 33,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20123761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvengersAU/pseuds/AvengersAU
Summary: After the Civil War, Natasha and Steve are on the road, trying to escape from 117 countries. However, a bigger threat is on its way, inevidable. Will they be able to face it without losing what they have?





	1. Chapter I

_ Steve turns his head and looks behind him. Everything is silent in the corridor. He starts running again and makes his way across the compound. He reaches the security room, where he catches up with Natasha. _

_« Have you fond something? » he asks her. _

_« Not yet,» she replies, still looking at the screens. She looks at him, and he spots confusion in her eyes. « Something’s wrong » she adds, « this is unusual. Only a few guards, not even a huge security organization… It feels like a trap. » _

_Steve is about to reply when a bomb explodes right underneath them. The whole room starts to crumble. He is ejected against the wall under the force of the explosion._

_« Natasha! NATASHA! » he screams, trying to spot her blonde hair through the smoke and dust. _

_« Steve! » a muffled voice answers him._

_Following his instinct, he runs towards the place where her voice comes from. There she is, hanging above the void, trying to avoid the concrete blocks falling from all sides around her. _

_« Hold on Nat! I’m coming! »_

_He begins to move the debris and stones that separate him from her. _

_« I think I have a broken ankle… » she lets out almost whispering, pain in her voice. _

_« Come on please, hold on, I’ll be here soon and we’re gonna be okay I swear » he tries to comfort her. _

_He curses quietly, damning the obstacles that stand between him and the woman he loves. Even if he uses all his strength, the amount of rocks is so important that he feels like it is never going to end. After ten minutes, he takes a look at Natasha. She is still holding the edge of the wall, but with only one hand and she seems to be close to faint. Her skin is white as a sheet, she has a deep cut on the cheek and she barely manages to keep her eyes open. Steve talks to her, in order to keep her awake until he can each her. He finally throws the last rock away and he runs to catch her arm. _

_« Steve… » she whispers, looking at him._

_« Come on honey, it’s okay, I got you,» he says, closing his hand tightly around her arm._

_He is about to lift her up when the second bomb explodes. As in slow motion, he watches himself drop Nat's arm and fall backward. Nat’s body starts falling. He tries to catch her but he isn’t fast enough. Under his horrified eyes, Nat falls and disappears under the rubble, while a cry of terror and absolute pain leaves his throat. _

Steve opens his eyes and lets out a sharp breath. He can still see the ghosts of his nightmare dancing in the dark. His heart is still racing. He turns his head really fast and watches Natasha sleeping next to him. He starts breathing again and touches her skin softly, just to be sure she is real. Slowly, taking care not to wake her up, he sits on the edge of the bed. It has been 3 years now since the Civil war, and one year since Nat joined him in his escape. He would have enjoyed it very much if they hadn’t to run away every day. He turns his head and looks at Nat again, still sleeping naked beside him. 

He doesn’t know how they got there. When she joined the team, it was really awkward. Both didn’t know what to do or what to say. Steve thought she was still into Bruce, and Nat thought Steve was still seeing Sharon. Eventually, they both realize they were actually into each other, and even then, Wanda had to interfere to enable the situation to evolve this way. One hour and a huge discussion later, they finally admitted that they had an overwhelming attraction and that very evening, Nat slept with Steve for the first time. Just thinking about this, Steve feels all his body turning on. Her soft skin, her perfect lips… Everything about her makes Steve want to touch her over and over again, without stopping. He lays again on the bed and kisses Nat’s shoulder. She sighs and he freezes, for fear of waking her up. It has been a really exhausting journey so far, and every moment of sleep is welcomed. 

Nat moves, still asleep, and comes closer to Steve. She buries her face in his chest and wraps her legs around his body. Steve can’t help but wraps his arms around her fragile body, to make her feel protected. Nat has always been skinny, but their constant need for hiding forced themselves to skip several meals and she is now so thin that Steve fears to break her just by touching her. Her ribs are way too visible and Steve could easily wrap her waist with his arms twice. He buries his face in her blonde hair and breaths deeply. God, he loves her smell. He closes his eyes and focuses on her. Just her. It’s always been her. From the moment he saw her on the helicarrier, he knew that his heart would belong to her to his last day. Everything that happened between was just a mess and distractions. No matter how hard he tried to forget her, especially when she kissed Bruce, his mind couldn’t turn away from her. That’s why he has to protect her, at all costs. Promising to follow this thought no matter what, he falls asleep again. 

When he reopens his eyes, it is because of warm lips pecking his neck. The sun shines through the window. It must be ten or maybe ten thirty in the morning. 

« Morning babe »

« Morning » he replies with a smile.

He tilts his chin down to grab her lips. It only takes a short time for her to kiss him back. She half-opens her lips, inviting him to play with her tongue. He doesn’t have to be asked twice and nibbles her lower lip. Nat lets out a moan. She tightens her legs around him, in order to stick her hips to his pelvis. He is already hard and she is pretty sure that he can feel that she is wet too. 

« Steve, please… » she whispers between his lips. It’s almost inaudible, like a supplication. 

Steve doesn’t know why, but the way she does this makes him completely weak and he just can’t resist her. He looks at her in the eyes. She seems as hungry as he feels. He removes her panties and then his. He grabs her hips and penetrates her gently. Being inside her is amazing. She is so beautiful. The way she looks at him with her green eyes makes him lose his mind. He slowly moves inside her, taking care not to hurt her. She closes her eyes and runs her hand into Steve’s messy hair. She likes the softness it has, and she is fully aware that Steve is particularly sensitive to this area. As to illustrate her thoughts, a shiver runs through Steve's body. She buries her face into his neck and starts sucking on his skin, just where she knows Steve the most receptive. Body against body, fever against fever, they unite until they both come. Exhausted but happy, Nat cuddles against Steve’s body and tries to catch her breath. Steve kisses her hair, enjoying the moment.

Five minutes later, Nat is taking a shower, while Steve is cooking eggs for breakfast. They don’t really have that much of a food, but breakfast is the only meal they try to never miss. Besides the nutritional benefit of it, it gives them the impression of a semblance of normalcy in their hectic lives. Steve checks if the eggs are ready, then he outs two of them in Nat’s plate and one in his. She doesn’t want to admit it, but she really needs more food than he does. The lack of food in her body has already made her faint twice, and he wants her to be ready to run away if necessary. He grabs the plates and puts them and the table. Done with her shower, Nat enters the kitchen. She is wearing black jean shorts as well as one of Steve's t-shirts, so big that it almost reaches her at knee level. He sometimes pretends that it bothers him, but deep down, he really loves when she wears his clothes. First, - his jealous side comes out - because it reminds him that she is his. But most importantly, because all his clothes have her smell, so he can feel her wherever he is. 

« Hungry? » he asks her when he hears her stomach rumbling. 

She nods, smiling, and sits around the table. Without a word, she takes a bite and closes her eyes, as if it was the best thing she had ever eaten.

« Do you have any word on Wanda or Sam? » she asks him, a worried look in the eyes. 

Steve shakes his head. Unfortunately, he hasn’t heard from them since they left six or seven months ago. When she joined them at first, the whole situation seemed like a vacation trip between friends. Besides the fact that they had to stay down, all their trips were just full of joy and laughs, as if nothing happened before. It almost felt like a family trip to Steve, as he had what’s most important for him back. However, it didn’t last long, as both Wanda and Sam had something inter mind too. Even though she tried to hide it, it was pretty obvious that Wanda cared about Vision’s situation wherever they went. Seven months ago, she received a call from him and she didn’t think twice before leaving them to join him. The team didn’t hold her back that much, as they knew how strong she already was. As for Sam, he pretended to have personal things to fix, but for knowing well, Steve is aware that he did that only to give them more space. Steve is beyond grateful for this, but he can’t help thinking that if Sam gets hurt, it would be his fault. 

He comes back to reality when he feels two arms wrapping around his torso gently.

« Don’t worry » Nat whispers to his ears while he puts his hands over hers « I’m sure they are fine »

Steve nods. He doesn’t doubt it. Seeing that they are both done with their meals, Steve takes the plate and starts watching them. Nat leaves the room to clean their bedroom and opens the window. She stays still in front of one of them, letting the sun hit her pale skin for a few minutes and breathing some fresh air. Steve can’t help staring at her. He sure prefers her red hair, but platinum blonde fits her pretty well and the sun reflecting on it enlightens her like an angel. 

« What’s in your mind? » she asks him.

He didn’t realize she had turned her head to look at him.

« Nothing special… I was just thinking that you’re beautiful,» he replies with a small smile. 

She laughs and blushes before returning back to cleaning the bed. Their day is usually not really busy, as they aren’t allowed to go out except to buy food or to move from place to place. So they often end up sitting on the couch and reading books or newspapers. Today is no exception, as Steve is sitting comfortably with Nat resting her head against his chest, both reading the same book. After finishing the Harry Potter series, they are now going through darker stories with some Stephen King’s books. Even if she tries to read it, Nat’s mind is nearly far away. Steve notices how her eyes glance at the windows every five seconds. 

« What’s bothering you? » he asks her caressing her shoulders.

« Do you think they are okay? » she asks him back, still looking through the window.

It doesn’t take long for Steve to figure out that she isn’t talking only about Wanda and Sam. He often forgets, but she had to fight her best friend during the Civil War and also other Avengers, even Tony, who he knows she is close to. It must have been a hard time for her.

« Honestly, I don’t know… But they are the Avengers, right? They can handle it. Besides, they are not in a rush like us. They don’t have so much to worry about. - she looks at him with a reproachful look- Look, if needed, we can always come back and help them, okay? We won’t let them down, I promise you» he says, pecking her lips. 

She turns to the window again, admiring the blue sky. 

« I miss them… » she whispers, embracing herself with her arms. 

« I know. I do miss them too… » 

Realizing what he just said, she folds her eyes. « We,» she says.  
« What? »

« You said ‘they are the Avengers’. But you meant we right? At one point, we’re gonna be okay again, right? » 

Steve doesn’t really know what to answer. The situation is too complicated. He left something for Tony if he needed him, but he is not even sure Tony hasn’t already thrown it away in anger. They stay silent for a while, both lost in their thoughts. 

« Have you ever thought about retirement? » he lets out in a breath.

« What? »

« Retirement. You know, quitting S.H.I.E.L.D, the Avengers, everything, to get a peaceful life. »

She sighs. « Yeah, I did. Multiple times. »

« Why didn’t you do it then? »

« First, because I’m not a stay-at-home kind of person. Obviously. »

Steve agrees mentally. No matter how hard he tried to make her stop, she wouldn’t stay still more than two days straight. First she would pretend to stay home, but eventually, she would pick another mission after boredom hits her again. 

« Secondly, as much as I hate to admit it, this job gave me everything. A new start, friends, love… everything I thought I was worthy was eventually given to me somehow and I often still think that I don’t deserve this. »

Steve’s face darkens but he doesn’t say anything. He hates when she devalues herself like she just did but he isn’t in the mood to fight over this, especially because she is quite a stubborn person and they end up fighting for nothing. He just lets her go on while listening to her. 

« Finally, I don’t think I could handle it. »

Steve frowns. « Handle what? »

« Guilty. The feeling. I can’t handle it. Could you? Could you buy a house, stay still during an attack, knowing that people died and that you could have done something about it? Could you stop yourself from running to the danger, because people have to be protected? Could you live with it? »

Steve hesitates a second. He was about to say he doesn’t know, but he would be clearly lying. Of course, he couldn’t handle it as well. For him, leaving a single civilian behind is unthinkable. He feels her heart racing up and her shoulders shaking. He knows she must be imagining the whole thing and feeling the guilt she has been talking about. Her eyes start watering as she closes them, and it’s enough for Steve to pull her in a tight hug.

« Hey, hey, hey shhhhhh… » he appeases her « It’s okay honey, it is not happening. We will never leave people behind and we will always do our best to protect everyone. Whatever it takes. »

She nods in agreement and relaxes against Steve’s body. He stays still, waiting for her breathe and heart to be back to normal. She waves her hand, trying to push the feeling away.

« Anyway, we sure can’t think about this right now! »

Steve laughs. « Sure we can’t! » 

She giggles in his arms and his heart slackens a bit. He really loves to see her laughing, because it means that for one second, she feels better. He said they can’t think about it, but deep down, he really hops that one day, he’ll be able to sit down in a chair with her and spend entire days reading without worrying about the world falling apart or an alien invasion. There’s something he wants to do when everything will be over, something he has been dying to do since she came back. She doesn’t know it of course, but Steve has been carrying a ring in his bag for one year now, promising himself to ask her out right when he would see her again. However, given the context, he considered the timing inappropriate and therefore keeps the ring carefully with him until the time is right. He knows she is the right one, the one he wants to spend the last of his days with, whether it is a day or ten years. He doesn’t care that they can’t have children. He doesn’t care if it’s just the two of them. As long as they stick together, he’ll be the happiest man on earth. 

« Steve, STEVE! Are you here? » she snaps her fingers in front of his face and looks at him worried.

« Yeah yeah I’m sorry I got lost. What were you saying again? »

« Maybe we should move tomorrow. I know there's no sign we've been spotted, but it would be safer not to stay more than three days in the same place and we've been hiding here for two days already. »

« Okay, we’ll move tomorrow night. Where to?»

« Further south I suppose? There’s barely anything. It could be good and useful to hide. »

« Mmmm. » he agrees. He stays silent for a while, then decides it’s time to change their minds. « Do you want to watch a movie? »

« Mmm sure, why not? »

« Your turn to choose. »

Nat thinks about it for a while before replying.

« The Aristocats »

« Again?? » he shouts, surprised.

« Come on, you know that’s my favorite! »

He really couldn’t believe it.

« How did the best assassin on Earth end up loving the Aristocats so much? » he laughs.

«Hey! - she punches his chest - Don’t laugh! I don’t know how it happened, it just did, deal with it! »

To be honest, she knows exactly why she loved it so much. Being a mother, having a family, a lover… Everything normal people do and she wished she could have done. Before meeting Steve, she had never felt that need for normality but the more she lives with him the more she has this feeling urging inside her. Yeah, having kids with Steve would be hell great. She shakes her head quickly to clear her mind. She can’t think about it. It is impossible for her to have kids. She knows that damn too well. She takes the remote and puts the movie on. 

As it comes to an end, Steve turns his head only to see that she had fallen fast asleep. He turns the T.V off and carefully picks her up. She is as light as paper. As he does so, she groans and curls up instinctively against his chest. He freezes but she doesn’t wake up. He sighs in relief. Taking her to the bedroom, he slips under the blankets, Natasha still in his arms, and pulls up the duvet to cover both of them. Tomorrow is another day, but for now, he just wants to enjoy the little respite they have. He buries his face in her hair and soon is fast asleep as well.


	2. Chapter II

Steve remembers pretty well how Nat joined the team. Kind of a rough day. However, the day had started rather normally. At least, insofar as a day of escape may be normal. The three of them (Sam, Wanda, and Steve) were walking in the street, trying to find some food before returning to their escape. 

« Wanda, any signs of intruders? »

« Not yet Steve but we better hurry. Even with caps and sunglasses, we are way too recognizable… » she murmured. 

« I know, it won’t take long. Just something to eat and we disappear. »

« Why don’t we split? Would go faster » Sam wondered. 

« No way! » Steve replied, looking at him « There’s no way we can-ouch! »

Walking without looking in front of him, Steve had just bumped into a young woman in the street. He turned immediately to apologize, as she felt on the ground.

« I’m really sorry, are you okay? » he asked her. 

She waved her hand, showing him she was fine. They were about to move on when Steve spotted blood on the floor. He looked again at the woman, in the eyes this time, and froze. These eyes. Beautiful eyes he would recognize everywhere. But that’s not possible, is it? How could she be here? 

« Nat… » he whispers softly.

« What did you just say? » Wanda asked him.

He didn’t reply. Her eyes opened wild as she identifies the voice. Slowly, she raised her hand and placed it on Steve’s cheek.

« Steve… » she replied in a sharp breath. 

He couldn’t believe it. She really was there. He gently stroke her short blonde hair. Yeah, sure she looked quite different, but it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter at all. He pulled her in a tight hug, just to be sure it was really her. As soon as he wrapped his arms around her, even though she didn’t push him away, he felt her tense up and breathe deeply. He pulled away right away, looking at her with a worried look. Several scratches were visible through her clothes as well as a lot of blood, and she placed her arm around her chest as if to protect it, suggesting that she had others. 

« I think I need help… » she let out before collapsing. 

Thanks to his increased reflexes, Steve caught her just before she hits the ground. Carrying her in his arms, he brought her to the car and started driving as fast as he could. They need to find somewhere to settle down and take care of her. Wanda and Sam started treating her wounds inside the car. Wanda used her powers to stop the bleedings while Sam disinfected her injuries. After one hour, he finally found a little cabin inside the woods and after checking its emptiness, decided to stop there. 

It took an entire week for her to recover from all her bruises and cuts. However, Sam insisted on her to stay in bed a little longer, as she also had a mild concussion, a really bad cut to her abdomen and a few felted ribs. She didn’t complain about it tho, showing how tired she really was. 

During her entire recovering process, Steve didn't leave her for a minute, even sleeping on the ground next to her in case she needed something during the night. To be honest, he didn’t sleep that much, spending entire nights watching her, wondering how to act when she is fully recovered. For his part, he knew exactly where his heart was. It was hers, from the beginning. He just regretted acting so dumbly with her, missing every chance he had to get closer to her. They ended up best friend tho, he guessed it’s better than nothing. Deep down yet, he wanted more, so much more. He couldn’t ignore the urge inside him, the urge to touch her, touch her skin, feel her under his fingers, feel her lips on his. It hurt so bad to see her with Bruce before and during the Sokovia War. He had to shut himself down because all that really mattered was her happiness. 

« Steve… » she woke up slowly, bringing Steve back to reality.

« hey, hey shhhhh stay down, stay down. » he appeased her, seeing her struggling to sit down. « How do you feel, Tasha? »

« Way better now, thank you, » she got up. She sat on the edge of the bed, putting her shoes on and started to pick up her stuff. Steve grabbed her arm. 

« Where do you think you’re going? »

« I can’t stay Steve. »

« Why not? »

« Cause. I can’t. »

Steve’s face darkened. He refused to be rejected. Not once more. 

« I suppose you’re going to see him. »

« Who? »

« You know perfectly who. »

« Sorry Steve but no I don’t. »

« Bruce! » he screamed. « You’re going back to him, right? »

« What the hell are you talking about? »

« Come on, I’m tired of your secrets! »

« I don’t know where you got this idea from, but I suggest you quit it right away. »

« And you’re still lying… » 

« I’m not! »

« Yes, you are! Why else would you leave? »

« Stop it Steve! » she screamed at him, her eyes watering.

« Steve, dude, calm down » Sam tried to appease him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

« No! -he slapped the hand away and stared at Nat - How can you tell me to stop, when I have to watch you leave again, not knowing if you’ll return one day or even stay alive?! I can’t afford to lose you, not again, cause I won’t support it! »

He immediately bit his lower lip, realizing what he just said. Nat couldn’t move. She just stood in the middle of the room, unbelieving.  
« What do you mean again? What does this mean Steve? » she asked him slowly.

« It doesn’t matter… »

« Well, it does matter to me! »

Steve sighed loudly. 

« He loves you. »

Steve quickly turned his head to Wanda who had come to the door and watched the entire scene. He stared at her, an angry look in the eyes.

« Don’t look at me like this. I had to. And you should have done it years ago. You know it. »

« You don’t get to decide what to do for me, Wanda. »

« That's enough, Steve. She's right. You should have done it years ago. » Sam said, standing next to her. 

Nat still didn’t say a word. She couldn’t believe it actually. He… loves her. Steve Rogers is in love with her. How? When? She thought he was still into Sharon, the beautiful blonde soldier, not her. Not the damaged, useless assassin. She tried not to, but her heart was extremely happy to hear the news. It started racing, like the first time they kissed at that mall, months ago. Tears fell down her cheeks. Seeing her crying, Steve ran to her to apologize.

« I’m sorry, Tasha, I’m so sorry please don’t cry, » he said, hugging her. She didn’t push him away as he expected. But she didn’t hug him back neither. She just cried, her face buried in his chest. Wanda and Sam left the room to give them some space. 

« Tasha, please, talk to me. »

« Don’t… » she mumbled.

« What? »

« Don’t give me hope please… » she begged, wrapping her arms around his waist. She couldn’t help but succumb to her feelings. 

Steve breathed deeply. Time to be honest. Time to prove to her she is worth it. Time to prove to her she isn’t just an assassin, but a woman who deserves to be loved. He pulled away and took her face in his hands to look at her in the eyes.

« I’m not offering you hope. I’m offering you love. I’m so sorry it took me so long to give it to you. Nat, from the first time I met you on the helicarrier, I knew. I knew it would be you but I - He shook his head - I was too weak to admit it. But I do love you. I love you so much that it hurts. I love you so much that seeing you kiss Bruce killed me. I want you, for the rest of my days. I want to see you cry, I want to see you age, I want to touch you, kiss you, take care of you because you’re worth it. And I want you to say you love me too cause I don’t know what I’m gonna do if you don’t » 

Nat stayed quiet for what seemed like hours to Steve. Then slowly, he saw a smile appearing on her face. She started punching her chest gently. 

« Steve - bump - Rogers - bump - you’re such - bump - an idiot! » she laughed. 

She placed her hands around his neck and presses her lips on his. Steve wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly while kissing her back. The world could explode right now, he wouldn’t care. The world he cared about was in his arms. That’s all that mattered. 

Five hours later, they were all eating dinner in the kitchen. Wanda had prepared a giant dish of bolognese pasta, and Sam had managed to find ice-cream for dessert. For once, Steve really thought that the sun would shine on them again. 

« So Nat, will you finally tell us what happened to you? You really scared us to death! » Sam asked her.

Nat stuck her fork in the dish before putting a huge bite in her mouth. She stared at her plate while chewing, waiting to be done to speak. 

« It’s complicated » 

« Don’t you want to tell us? » Wanda wondered.

« It’s not that I don’t want it… It’s just complicated. I don’t know where to start. »

« Take your time it’s okay, » Steve calmed her down, taking her hand. Nat nodded before starting her story. 

« If I remember well, the last time I saw you, we were at the airport when I let you and Bucky go. »

« Yeah that’s right » 

« Wait, you actually let them go? We didn’t know that! » Sam yelled in surprise.

« Right after you left, it became a huge mess. People from S.H.I.E.L.D and the government came to arrest all the opponents, that is to say, all of us who hadn’t signed the accords. Clint and Scott are now under house arrest even though Clint is officially on holiday. »

« But - Wanda frowned - I don’t get it. You signed those accords Nat. Why would they arrest you? »

« Because I helped you. Anyone who helped Steve or Bucky is a fugitive, no matter the accords. I had to run away, I had no choice. »

« Where did you go? » 

« First, I broke into the compound to grab some stuff. Basic stuff, like my draggers and the very minimum to survive the first days. But when I got out, they were already there, waiting for me. - She turned her head to Steve - I’m really sorry but I had to borrow your bike. I made my way out and it took me eight hours to be sure I was completely alone. »

« Did you managed to stay down? »

« That was the problem. Anywhere I went, they were already here. I couldn’t move or go somewhere without them noticing and chasing me. It was really weird so I thought about something. I went through all my stuff and eventually, I found a nano GPS tracker inside my suit. I destroyed it, but it was too late and they were here again. They attacked me and nearly landed to kill me. Lucky for me, I was prepared and I built some extra weapons to handle them. Anyway, one guy succeeded in grabbing me and the other one stabbed me in the abdomen. The other injuries are just consequences of the fight. »

She took one second to bathe and chase the ghost dancing in her eyes. Steve hadn’t moved his hand and felt her hand pressuring his. 

« I didn’t know where to go or what to do. I didn’t even know if the tracker I found was the only one or if they would find me in an instant. I just decided to get out and find somewhere to hide when I bumped into you. »

« Rumlow? » Steve asked.  
« No, it wasn’t him. Wanda killed him, remember? I didn’t recognize any of them anyway. Probably some fresh guys they recruited. » 

He stared at her for a while. 

« Nat, I’m really sorry » 

« What for? You didn’t do anything. » 

« Precisely. I wasn’t there. I wasn’t there when you needed me and now you’re hurt. » 

« I’m with you again, » she smiled at him « Everything is gonna be okay, I know it. Stop feeling guilty. I’m all good and ready! » She added, enthusiastic.

« Speaking of being ready, I hope you are cause we’re leaving tomorrow » Steve declared. 

« Picking the stuff,» Wanda said, her powers already in actions. All they brought was moving in the air and Nat stayed captivated by it for a good ten minutes.

« Checking the car » Sam went one further, grabbing his tools under the sink and running outside.

After one hour, they were all set to go. It was high time they went to bed, so they did. As the cabin was too small for four people, Natasha ended up sleeping with Steve, which didn’t really bother anyone of them. Honestly, Steve really wanted to sleep that night, but never managed to do so. How could he, when she was so close, so inviting? He had been staring at her back for nearly one hour when she turned around to face him. She looked at him with an hungry look. 

« Touch me… » She whispered. 

From that moment, words weren’t needed anymore. It was just two bodies willing to unite. Even though his body urged him to do so, Steve wanted to take his time, to satisfy her as best as he could. He wanted to know how she tastes, to feel her as long as he could. He took off her shirt, leaving her topless. As a reflex, she wrapped her arms around herself, but he took her hands and unfolded them to look at her. Gosh, she was absolutely beautiful. He buried his face in her neck and started sucking on her pale skin, just under her ear. She gasped and ran her hand in his messy hair. Slowly, he made his way to her breast, kissing her collarbone and shoulder, and sucked on her nipples, making her groaned each time he bit her gently. It didn’t take long before she looked at him with an imploring look. Her green eyes made Steve lose his mind, and he undressed her completely, feverish. When he entered her, he knew that it was meant to be, he knew that no matter what, he would devote his heart, life, and soul to her and her only. She fought to keep her eyes open, but each thrust he gave her brought her to paradise. She had begged for this to happen for so long that she couldn’t believe it was actually happening. With her hands, she explored his body, eager to discover every nook and cranny of it. Face to face, lips to lips, their sweat were mixing on their chest stuck together. When she started moving her hips, Steve groaned uncontrollably and grabbed them, readjusting their angle. She came first, her body trembling and shivering, while she pressed her pelvis against Steve’s. It took Steve a few more thrusts, but he finally released his cum inside her while she nibbled his earlobe. They both felt to the bed, sweaty and out of breathing. Nat immediately cuddled in his arms and they both fell asleep. For the first time in a long, they didn’t do any nightmares. 

« Steve! You aren’t even listening! »

Nat throws a pillow at Steve, bringing him back to the present day. 

« I’m sorry, what were u saying? »

« Are you done with your luggage? We have to leave soon. » 

« Give me five more minutes and we’re gone »  
Steve grabs his underwear under the bed and puts them inside his bag. As he slips under the bed to grab a few more things, he hears a small alarm ringing. Nearly at the same time, Nat bursts into the room. Five words escape her mouth:

« Missile. Three minutes. Go. NOW! » and she runs toward the car. 

Steve gets up, grabs the keys and jumps into the car, leaving all their remaining stuff behind. Nat is already here, waiting for him. He turns it on and crushes the pedal. In a second, they're on the road, driving fast to go away. When Nat looks behind to see if anything is coming, her eyes open wild. 

« Steve, we’re not alone » she whispers.

« How many? »

« Four cars. And a helicopter. »

« Goddammit! »

None of them talk, as Steve is concentrated on the road and Nat tries to find something to attack. She is about to reach her hidden guns under the seat when she spots a man holding a huge rocket launcher. 

« Steve, we have to get off the road! »

Steve looks in the rear-view mirror and gasps. The first missile is launched but it’s too late, they are already off-road and it misses the car. 

« Look over there! » she yells to cover the loud sounds «The mountains! We could leave them behind there! »

Steve nods in agreement and heads towards the direction Nat pointed out. He drives as fast as he can, trying to hide under the tree to at least escape the helicopter. However, things turn out worse as they see bikers joining their enemies. 

« SHIT! » Steve screams, as bikers cut them off. He crushes the brake pedal and tries to find a way out but they are surrounded.

« Captain, Widow, get out of the car! » a man screams with a microphone.

Nat looks at Steve. She seems scared but also determined to fight. Steve just tilts his chin slowly, indicating her that he’ll follow her no matter what. They step out of the car and reunite. Steve instinctively places an arm around Nat's waist, forming a shield between her and those who are about to kill them. 

« Natasha… » he whispers. He doesn’t know why, but he wanted to say her name. He tries to tell her how much he loves her, how much he cares about, how sorry he is, but words are stuck in his throat. He just stands there and looks at her, trying to convince everything he is feeling with this look. 

« I know » she answers, putting a hand on his back and pressing her forehead on his. 

For five seconds, they stay frozen in this position. Then without a word, they pull away and turn against each other. They adopt a combat pose, ready to fight.

A man, probably the chief, yells an order. Like one, the soldiers form a circle around them. There’s no way out. Steve and Nat unconsciously link their hands. 

« ON MY COMMAND! »

3  
Nat closes her eyes.

« ARM GUNS… »

2  
Steve holds his breath.

« READY TO FIRE… »

1  
They hold hand tighter.

« FIRE! »

A hundred bullets converge on them.

And right before being killed, only one thought occupies both of their minds. Three simple words, which are nevertheless for them the most important, those to which they wish to grab hold of. 

« I love you »


	3. Chapter III

They were ready for the pain. They really were. But it never came. Instead, just a blue electrical light and a sentence « You didn’t see that coming» with an ironic voice. Surprised, Steve and Nat open their eyes but don’t let their hands go. All around them, the soldiers who, until a moment ago, were about to kill them, lie inanimate on the ground. All their weapons are gathered in piles in the center of the circle except one, which is in the hands of a blond-haired man who faces Nat.

« I must say I have seen you in better days! » he smirks.

« Pietro! » Nat shouts.

« What? » Steve replies, turning around so fast that he nearly loses balance.

It couldn’t be. Pietro died during the Sokovia war. He looks up and gasps. Indeed, Pietro is standing here, in the middle of the battlefield, still playing with the gun he has stolen from a soldier.

« What the fuck are you doing here? » Nat wonders. 

« First of all, language Romanoff. And secondly, I’m not sure this is quite the best place to talk about this, don’t you think? » he answers.

« He is right Nat, we should find somewhere safe first. They might wake up at any moment. »

« Alright, alright » she admits.

« While you were sleeping upright, I went for a walk around and found a small cabin on the other side of the mountain, out of sight. It's not much, but I think it'll be fine » 

« Perfect. Show us the way » Steve says, walking towards the car. 

Driving the car, Steve tries to follow Pietro as fast as he can. Even with their speed, it takes them five hours to reach the house. As Pietro said, it’s quite small but surrounded by trees and groves which hide it from the outside. Perfect place to stay low for a while. They enter the cabin to find a single couch and a small table. Not even something to cook. Steve doesn’t mind right now. All he wants is safety. He’ll worry about food later. They both sit on the couch and breathe deeply. Nat buries her nose into Steve’s neck. This is the place where she feels the safest. 

« So, Pietro, how did you find- » Steve asks him.

« No, no, no first of all, how the fuck are you not dead? » Nat cuts him short.

« Apparently, the old man saved me. »

« Barton? » Steve inquires.

« Himself. As soon as we got on that huge S.H.I.E.L.D helicopter thing, Dr. Cho healed my body with her technology. When he experimented on us, Strucker increased my metabolism. I mean my whole body, not just my speed. Thus I have an increased regeneration system. Yet, It took me quite a while to come back. One and a half years. But here I am. » 

« We’re happy you’re back. Thanks for the saving by the way! Did you warn Wanda? She was devastated after your death. She even killed Ultron’s army all alone »

« Who do you think sent me here? »

Steve frowns. 

« You know, it’s been quite a long day so a little more explanation is welcomed » Nat grumbles, her face still hidden.

« Okay, okay so there’s something you need to know about Wanda. When she uses her power on someone, she creates a kind of… link between her and the ones she uses her powers on. When we attacked you on that ship, and she messed up your minds, she also established a connection between each one of you. With that connection, she can travel space and time and see where you are, what you’re doing, and even check on your feelings » 

« So she can basically spy on many many people without them noticing, that’s what you are saying » Nat wonders, suspicious. 

Pietro acknowledges, before going on. 

« Yet, it is not a constant link. She can just… activate it whenever she wants to. She does this from time to time for each of the avengers, to find out if she should intervene or warn someone. And as I said, it’s just a way to check up on the people she cares about. She never uses it to spy, unless it’s a rough situation.»

« So she what? She ‘saw’ us in danger and just called you? »

« It’s a bit more complicated but that’s quite a way to sum up the whole thing. She felt something was wrong and she sent me to check up. »

« Thank you, Pietro, really. »

« It’s okay. I’m happy to be back » he smiles. 

« What do we do now? » Nat asks them. 

« First of all, you need to rest. Stay here for a few days until the people who attacked you believe you have left the country. They won't think to search the area. On my side, I'm going to try to find Wanda and Vision, see if everything's okay. Anyway, if things go wrong again, Wanda will let me know. »

He just nods before disappearing in another blue electrical flash. Steve turns his head and looks at Nat. With her head resting against his shoulder, she has great difficulty keeping her eyes open. Steve really wished he could let her sleep, but it has been nearly one day since their last meal and Steve really needs her to eat. 

« Tasha, you need to eat. You can’t sleep right now. » he murmurs.

« … don't wanna » she grumbles, slipping closer to him. Five more seconds and she is fast asleep. Steve sighs but doesn’t wake her up. So much for the meal, she will eat when she wakes up. Carefully, he pulls himself out and lies her down the couch. He is about to leave when she grabs his finger. 

« …Stay » she whispers. She is so weak that Steve almost doesn’t feel her touch. He knows he should refuse and try to define their next move, but her sleepy face is torn with worried facial features and he knows she will sleep better if he stays by her side. He sits on the couch again and picks her up to sit her down on his lap. She cuddles against his warm chest, still fast asleep. He puts an arm around her waist. His heart clenches again when he feels her sharp ribs under his fingers. Each time they have to run away brings her closer to death. Steve feels his heart banging against his ribs just by this thought. He won’t let that happen, no matter what. Right now, they are safe. That’s all that matters. He closes his eyes, gathering his thoughts. Whoever hurts her will pay a high price. That’s all that matters.

Nat slept for almost 7 hours straight, her sleep only being disturbed by one bad dream. However, Steve managed to appease her and she went back to sleep almost immediately. During her nap, Steve only thinks about what they should do next. He starts feeling tired and angry about running away all the time and always fearing to be recognized. He misses the team, the missions, all his old life, and routine. 

« You know, I thought about something. » 

He freezes for a second. He hadn’t noticed her, lost in his reflexion.

« Tell me. » he inquires 

« As a spy, my job is to survive thanks to information. Without information, I can’t see and thus it’s hard to make decisions. Right now, we are lost and it irritates me quite a lot. So we must find what’s going on in the world. » she affirms with a strong voice.

Steve turns the idea around in his mind. Then, realizing what this idea implies, he frowns.

« Are you suggesting that we should… »

« Break into one of S.H.I.E.L.D basis? Totally » she confirms. 

As much as he hates the idea, Steve can’t but agree with her. He is frustrated about being blind too. 

« Okay, let’s get what we need » 

They both dress up and take what they need to complete the mission. Nat slips one of her catsuits on. With her actual shape, it is twice too big, but it makes feel like she’s working again. It really calms her mind. As for Steve, he puts one of his old suit on, one Tony designed for him. All black, it matches perfectly with Nat’s outfit. Nat grabs a huge variety of guns and daggers, hiding them in the many secret pockets of her suit. Being more of a hand-to-hand combatant, Steve decides to take only a semi-automatic pistol. 

Half an hour later, they are silently sited in the car, heading for their target. None of them speak, both concentrating on what is about to happen. The plan is simple. First, go in, unnoticed. Second, Nat goes to the security center to deactivate the cameras, download all the files about the Avengers and at the same time, unlocks the doors to help Steve on his way. Third, Steve heads to the archive room, see if he can find anything on the Avengers and recent events. Forth and last, going out. Even though the basis they are about to attack is a real labyrinth, Nat knows every single corner of it and will be able to guide Steve through it. 

Three hours later, Steve parks the car on a hidden side of the road. They are still a bit far from the basis, about 15 minutes, but it’s safer because of the noise. Their point is to slip in unnoticed, and it would be quite inappropriate to step in with such a noisy transport. 

As soon as they arrive, they get rid of the few guards outside the compound easily. They enter and stay still. Time to split. They hug in a passionate kiss. Steve wishes it didn’t sound like a goodbye kiss as hard as it actually did. They pull away and go their separate ways.

Steve silently slips into the hallways and follows the path Nat told him. « Left, left, right, left, right, left » he keeps repeating on his mind. He is a little surprised by the small number of agents present inside. However, Nat told him that it was only a minor base, not requiring many people to operate. It suits him perfectly. Fewer people to spot them, fewer people to attack them, more chances of success. Triple benefit. He reaches his first closed door and calls Nat via their emitters. 

« Nat, I’m here. What’s your status? »

Only silence answers him. 

« Status Natasha! »

« Hold on! » she finally yells. 

In the background, Steve can hear gunshots and punch noises.  
« Nat? Nat! What’s going on? »

« I said hold on Steve! »

Steve can’t do anything but trust her and holds his breath while he hears Nat fighting. 

At first, everything was going well. Nat had managed to infiltrate the corridors, her thinness and her ability to be as silent as a cat allowing her to be almost invisible. Everything changed when she was overcome by violent nausea that paralyzed her on the spot. Unable to move or concentrate, she had not seen a guard approaching. He, on the other hand, had spotted her beautiful and well and had given the alert. 

That’s why she is now fighting a bunch of men, still trying to neutralize them silently. It is quite hard to get rid of them, considering the fact that she has to handle her nausea, Steve yelling at her and the guards at the same time. Eventually, she manages to get out, and heads directly toward the security room. 

« Tasha! » Steve whispers to her ear. 

« I’m fine Steve. Give me 3 minutes hack the system. »

Steve urges to ask her what happened but now is not the right time. Nat approaches a computer and starts taper frenétiquement on the keyboard. 

« All clear Steve you can move on » she tells him.

« Which way? »

« Take the first corridor on your left an open the second door on your left. Go down two floors. The archive room is right there »

Steve opens the door Nat unlocked and follows her instructions. 

« God! » he shoots as he enters the room. 

The room could be compared to a small library. It would take at least three days to explore everything.

« Are you kidding me Nat? I can’t take a look at everything, we only have 15 minutes! »

« Calm down Rogers! S.H.I.E.L.D is a very organized organization. All files are arranged in an chronological order, from alley A to Z. Just look at alley Z and you’ll find the latest news »

Steve does so, and starts reading the files one by one. 

« It’s strange… » he lets out after a moment.

« What’s strange? » 

« There’s nearly nothing about us, just a few files »

« What? » Nat screams, surprised. « That’s impossible Steve. They have been haunting us down for months now. There should be file on every single movement we made. »

« I’m telling you Nat, theres nearly nothing about us. But… Do you know who Thanos is? » 

« Who? Thanos? No, I have no idea. Why? »

« He is everywhere, on every single file S.H.I.E.L.D has written recently,» he says, putting back another file at the right place.

« Let me download everything we have about him and we’re out. »

It takes about 5 minutes for Nat to download everything despite the high speed of the computers.  
She plugs out the USB key and goes to meet Steve, who has managed to find his way back. Half and hours later, they are back in the car, heading safely toward the cabin.

*** 

*Somewhere in outer space*

« Sir, It appears that two of the remaining stones are actually on a small planet called Terra »

Floating in the middle of a room, Ebony Maw looks around him at the giant universe map which is materialized in front of him.

« This is where the signature are the strongest » he adds.

30 feet beneath him, a purple-skinned giant sharpens his weapon. As big as him, it is a double axe with a handle in the middle to grab it. He is seating on what looks like a throne made of rock. He puts his weapon on the side of it and stands up. 

« Terra… »

« Yes sir. Apparently, They are the possessions of two earthlings »

« Their name and abilities? »

« For the time stone, Strange, Stephen. Human. Master of mystic arts. Received the stone for the Ancient One. Linked with the Avengers. »

« Mind Stone? »

« Calls himself Vision. Non-human. Made of vibranium. A few years back, Ultron created a body to accept his consciousness, using the stone to build it »

« I know who he is »

« Also associated with the Avengers. He took part to the war that tore them apart. »

« Tell me more about the Avengers. »

With a hand gesture, Maw erases the map of the universe and displays pictures of every single one of the Avengers. Pointing at them, he explains everything. 

« Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Bruce Banner, Thor Odinson, Clint Barton, Tony Stark. Also known as the original six. They were the one who defeated Loki during the New-York battle. »

« I know this already. Tell me about their recent behaviors. »

« Made-up names or real names? »

« Just make it short »

« Hawkeye and Ant-Man are under house arrest. Iron Man, Spiderman, War Machine, and king T’challa of Wakanda are back to their normal life. Vision and the Scarlet Witch, as well as the Falcon, are on the run, being hunted down by 117 countries. » he says, reading the files.

« What about them? » he asks, pointing at Nat and Steve. 

« Black Widow and Captain America. On the run too. » 

Thanos doesn’t say anything. He presses his fingers against his temple, concentrating. Suddenly, he freezes and a smirk appears on his face. 

« You shouldn’t have split up… » he whispers, looking at the pictures. 

« Sir? Do you have something in mind? »

« If we want to get the stones, we have to beat them separately. Divided, they fall. »

« Is there anyone you want in particular? »

Thanos lets out a small laugh and glances at the projection again. 

« You bet there is… »


	4. Chapter IV

« So, what does it say? »

Nat looks up at Steve. She is just done with reading the files they collected at S.H.I.E.L.D. Steve folds his eyes. Something is wrong. Her bottom lip is trembling and her eyes watering. 

« Tasha, why are you crying? » he asks, kneeling before her. 

She shocks her head briefly. 

« We have to- We need- We must do something Steve. » she lets out between two sobs. 

Steve pulls her in a hug and kisses her forehead. 

« What about you tell me what’s going on first? »

« What do you want to know? »

« Everything. We need to be prepared. I need to know what’s coming »

She nods in his shoulder and goes back to sit cross-legged on the table. Steve sits on the couch. He tilts his head, indicating her he is ready. She takes a deep breath and starts speaking.

« Thanos. That’s his name. Thanos was born of A'Lars, a member of the Titans, a kind of powerful beings resembling gods who lived on the planet Titan. Thanos loved his people unconditionally and was desperate to save Titan when the planet became the imminent target of a catastrophic overpopulation event. When Thanos suggested killing half the world's population, in a completely random way, to solve this problem, his idea was considered too drastic and rejected by his people, leading Titan to be quickly devastated and almost uninhabitable. Titan's hope was on the verge of extinction, another consequence of the planet's devastation. »

« Killing half the population… » Steve whispers. 

« After the fall of Titan, Thanos came to believe that the immensity of the population within the universe was impoverishing its finite resources, and would eventually destroy the universe itself. Thus, to save the other planets from Titan's fate, Thanos became a conqueror of worlds, crossing the galaxy and destroying half of the lives within the planets he controlled by following his ideology of universe balance. He gained a reputation as a feared galactic warlord through his immense power and took control of a remote region, a deadly army of Chitauri, Sakaarians, and Scouts, and is now considered among the beings, if not the most powerful, in the universe. » Nat goes on. 

« Chitauri? » Steve feels his body tensing hearing that name « So it means… »

« New-York » Nat confirms. « It was him. He sent Loki. If we add the fact that he sent him with the mind stone, it probably means that Loki was under his control too. »

Steve can’t believe what he is hearing right now. He can't believe they've been nothing more than pawns all this time. 

« Thor was right… » 

« Thor? » Nat inquires.

« After defeating Ultron, Thor told us, Tony and I, that the reappearance of the infinity stones wasn’t a coincidence at all. It turns out he was right. » he sighs. « Besides Loki, is there anyone we should be aware of? »

« Seeking to extend his power, Thanos collected orphans of each species he took control of. His oldest children are Corvus Glaive, Cull Obsidian and Proxima Midnight. These three warriors, completely believers and devoted to the command of Thanos, then compose the Black Order. While Thanos and one of his children, Ebony Maw, killed half of the Zehoberei people to balance Zen-Whoberi, Thanos' attention was drawn to a young Zehoberei named Gamora, who was fighting against one of his Chitauri soldiers. He also massacred a Luphomoid family to raise Nebula as another devoted and deadly assassin. Thanos always turned Nebula against Gamora and every time Nebula lost, Thanos would remove a new part of her body to make her stronger. »

« So Corvus Glaive, Cull Obsidian, Proxima Midnight, Gamora and Nebula are his children. »

« At least he considers them as so. »

« What does he want? Why killing only half the population? » he exclaims

« I told you. To give the universe a chance to balance the population’s growing. At least, that is what he thinks. »

« Can he do that? »

« I think so, thanks to… - she looks around - this,» 

She hands him a file. Steve opens it and immediately recognizes what it is about.

« The stones? How can the stones help him?»

« It’s written inside. We defeated Loki, and a group of people called The Guardians of the Galaxy stole the power stone from Ronan, a Kree seeking fo revanche against Xandar, thanks to Gamora who betrayed him. Loki and Ronan the Prosecution having both failed in their conquest of worlds and to bring back the Stones of Infinities to him, Thanos decided to take care of it himself. He forced the Nidavellir Dwarves to forge the Infinity Gauntlet. It’s a device that allows him to carry all six stones and use them. Steve, if he finds the six stones, he’ll be able to wipe out half of the universe, just like that. -She snaps his fingers - We have to stop him, we have to warn everyone. »

« Does the files say which stones he currently has? » 

« Well, according to this file - she points at a huge pile of sheets - He is already in possession of all stone except for the mind stone, Vision’s stone, and the time stone. »

« Where’s the time stone? »

« On Earth, under the protection of Stephen Strange »

Steve lets his head fall back on the couch back. It's a lot of information at once, even for him. 

« How is it possible we haven't heard from him before? » he murmurs

« Steve please, don’t blame yourself. This, all of this, is way beyond us. We couldn’t have known »

« S.H.I.E.L.D knew. And yet, they prefer hunting us down than protecting the population… »

« We don’t know that. Maybe, they are trying to find a solution… » 

« Nat! Come on! He already has 4 stones! It makes him unstoppable. »

« We have to try »

« You know we can’t. Tony won’t answer, Thor and Bruce are somewhere we don’t know- »

« I’m not saying that we should put the whole team in danger… » she cuts him short.

Steve realizes what it means and he closes his eyes.

« No. Way. »

« You know it’s- » 

« I’m not putting you in danger. Not in your condition. »

« Because according to you, breaking into S.H.I.E.L.D was safe? I’m not dying Steve. » she sighs. 

« It’s not the same Tasha and you know it. S.H.I.E.L.D is a known field. Going alone against him, it is suicide. »

« We have to do it. We have to try, to stand a chance! » she begs him « Look, we are both trained and we can study everything so we’ll be ready. You can’t expect me to stay here after this. If there’s a chance, even small, that we can stop him, we owe this, to every person he killed, to try! »

She gets up to sit on his lap and hug him.

« Please… We need to try. We are the best duo possible. We know each other, know how we work, what we think… We have the highest chances to succeed. »

Steve wraps his arms around her waist. 

« If there is any trouble, anything at all, I want you to tell me and I get us out of this mission right away, is that clear? » He tells her firmly.

A small smile appears on her face. She nods and hugs him tighter. She buries her face in the crook of his neck and takes a deep breath. 

« We have one more problem » she sniffs. « We don’t know where he is… »

She gives an enormous yawn. When he sees that she can’t keeper eyes open, Steve tries to put her on the couch, but she holds on him tight and cuddles against him even more, making her smaller than should be allowed. 

« We’ll figure it out tomorrow, okay? »

One more time, Steve stays here with her and they both fall asleep, holding each other like there’s no tomorrow.

***

« Father, we are 72 hours away from Earth »

The huge black ship is heading into the vastness of interstellar space. Thanos looks up at Proxima Knight, kneeling before him. 

« Perfect » he replies. 

« Is there somewhere in particular where you want to land Father? »

« Somewhere with no habitation. »

« Understood, Father »

The mad titan stands up from his throne and walks towards the other side of the room. He opens a door to reveal a hidden armor. Made of gold, it has a deadly reputation to be the most efficient in the universe. Nobody has ever crushed it, not even a single scar is visible. It suits him perfectly. He puts it on and looks at his arm. Like stars, the four infinity stones he managed to collect shine. He moves his hand, clenching his fist slowly. He can feel the power of stone resonating inside his body. It is still bearable, but he has to hurry. Even he doesn’t know how long he’ll be able to hold them before being destroyed. Because destruction is the faith of every being trying to hold them. The speed of the process depends on how strong the being is. Two more. Two more stones and his destiny will be fulfilled. Yet, there’s something he has to do before getting them. He knows the Avengers. Even divided, they are still very powerful and won’t hesitate to attack. That’s why he has to be prepared and careful. He smiles. That is perfect. To be honest, he hopes they will attack. There is someone he wants to meet. Someone who will help him in his deadly walk. Someone who will help him beat the Avengers and every person who will stand between the stones and him. The most important is: they have to attack separately. It’ll be easier then. 

He heads towards the laboratories, situated at the back of the ship. Inside, two hundred people work on what is going to be the deadliest weapon of the galaxy. He opens the door. The room can easily be compared to a secret S.H.I.E.L.D basis. Inside, there are hundreds of tanks, all linked. Within each of them, an inert mass can be distinguished. Four arms and sharp claws, they must be at least two meters high. A small yellow light seeps into the tanks, bringing out the creatures' three rows of teeth. 

Thanos can’t but smile more. This is it. This is his final project. The one with which he’ll take the universe down. With this, this army, no one will be able to stop him. Not even Earth’s mightiest heroes. 

« When will they be ready? » he asks, his voice breaking the silence of the room

« They will be fully grown by the time we arrive on Earth, your grace. »

« Do we know if they’ll be able to accept the serum in their ADN? »

« All the tests we made are positive. When fully grown, they’ll be able to merge the serum with the ADN and transform. They will be even more powerful than the original. »

Thanos lets out a little machiavellian laughter. The prospect of the upcoming battle fills him with joy. His destiny is near, he feels it. This army, these hundreds of creatures are the sword that will allow him to advance. Stark isn’t the only one cursed by knowledge. He also studied the potential threats. He studied the Avengers. And especially a certain super-soldier. He needs something from him, something very important. The final point to complete his army. Because inside Steve Rogers runs the serum who made him a super-soldier. And Thanos wants it more than anything. But he also knows that Steve Rogers wouldn’t give up the serum so easily. So he has to be very persuasive. And what he learned earlier made him very happy. If Steve Rogers wouldn’t give up the serum on his own, maybe he would surrender for someone he loves. 

Thanos goes back to the throne’s room, thinking of how to get what he needs. All his children are here, waiting for them. 

« You asked for us Father? » they all say at the same time, kneeling.

« Yes, my children. I need you to complete a mission. Something very important. »

« Everything for you, Father » Proxima answers. 

« Someone will come to attack, I know it. And I need you to capture this person. »

« Dead or alive? »

« Alive »

« it will be done according to your wishes, Father »

« Go now, prepare everything. And don’t disappoint me. »

« We won’t, Father »

***  
« Steve I think we have something »

Steve groans and turns in the bed, hiding his face in his pillow. It has been three days since they know Thanos is coming but they haven’t come to any plan yet. One thing is sure, they are going to find him and try to find out what his plan is. Easy to say, more difficult to apply. They have no idea where to start, and no clue about Thanos’ behaviors at the moment. They are just lost. The sun is gone and he just wants this day to end quick. 

« STEVE! »

« What! » he replies angrily, looking up. 

For his defense, he hasn’t slept a lot recently, mostly worried about Nat getting thinner and thinner with time. Nat looks at him, shocked. Steve never screams, not without a good reason. He had never yelled at her until now, even when he was scared for her. He notices her look and bites his lip in regret. 

« I’m sorry Nat, I didn’t want to yell. » 

« It’s okay… » 

He doesn’t believe her but tries to change her mind. 

« What did you find? »

« Look at this, » she turns the computer for him to see it « normally, there are electromagnetic waves that start from the poles and spread according to specific currents. However, as you can see here since yesterday there has been a strong disturbance of the Earth's magnetic fields causing disturbances all over the planet. »

« What could cause this phenomenon? »

« A huge concentration of energy. If there’s a point where the energy is higher than at the poles, the waves are automatically redirected according to this point. »

« Energy huh? Do you think it’s… »

« The stones. It can’t be otherwise. It means Thanos is there too. » 

« Do we know its localization? »

« If I’m not mistaken and I believe it is the case, he is somewhere in Greenland. »

Steve sighs. He hates being cold. 

« We’ll go after him tomorrow okay? We need to rest first it’s too late » he suggests.

Nat nods in agreement. She closes the computer and slips under the covers. Steve automatically wraps his arm around her, and she sticks her back to his chest. She doesn’t say anything, but Steve can see she has something in her mind, as she just stares at the opposite wall instead of closing her eyes.

« Something’s in your mind »

This is not a question. He knows it. He just has to look at her, in her eyes, to see everything she feels. 

« How? » she breathes out.

« How what? »

« How did you fall in love with me? » she whispers.

Steve feels her heartbeat racing again. She tries to hide by rolling in a ball but Steve kisses her neck to calm her down. 

« The real question is how couldn’t I? » he answers softly.

She giggles and turns around to face him. He lets her go as she pulls away a little bit from him, to see his face. 

« How could the purest man on Earth fall for the damaged assassin? » she asks seriously.

Steve doesn’t hesitate. 

« Maybe because behind the damaged assassin is hidden the brightest soul on Earth? »

She laughs and punches him softly. « What a cheesy thing to say! »

Steve smiles but notices her eyes watering. He knows how hard it is for her to let go of her past. He can’t imagine what she has gone through. He knows he can’t change the past, but he can make her future brighter. So he just kisses her. Softly first. She reciprocates, and the soft kisses turn into dirty ones. Soon, he finds himself sucking on her neck, while she wraps her legs around his waist and presses her pelvis against his. He groans, and pines her on her bed, making sure to be on the top of her. He undresses and then her. Her petite body hurts his heart. Impatient, she grabs his lips between her and moves her hips against his lap, urging him to penetrate her. Steve does so, as impatient as she is It's not animal or wild. It's just two souls uniting tenderly. No words, no promises. It’s useless. They communicate through their bodies, their souls. They don’t think about tomorrow or the future. It’s just them, their world. They make love all night long, knowing that it would probably be their last night together.


	5. Chapter V

« We must be prepared. No rush. No hesitation. » Steve states.

Nat nods in agreement, pushing back the sense of urgency to fly immediately to Greenland. She hates to admit it, but going right away would be a huge mistake, considering the fact that Steve doesn’t have his shield anymore and their lack of training the last few months. They need to get more information. That's why she is frantically typing on her computer keyboard. She's trying to get into a Russian server, hack into their satellites. They are the only ones powerful enough to provide them with accurate images.

« Are you in already? » Steve wonders.

« Not yet. »

Steve feels powerless. He is aware to be overwhelmed by technology and even more so by computers. He prefers to let Nat act. She is much more talented than him and anyway, he knows that she needs to act to calm down. He won’t stop her from acting, he doesn’t want to die. Yet, he wishes he could help her more, besides fighting. He can’t help but play with his fingers, waiting. He already checked around the house, cleaned the bedroom, done the dishes, washed their clothes. Three times each. Nat rolls her eyes and looks at him. 

« Stop it Steve. You make me sick walking around like that! » she groans.

« I’m sorry, it’s just- » he sighs loudly. 

Her eyes soften. She isn’t mad, how could she? 

« Come here » she tells him, tapping the couch next to her.

Steve walks and sits next to her. Her perfume reaches him, and closes his eyes two seconds to savor its flavor. She takes his hand, still tapping on the keyboard with the other, and caress his palm with her thumb. That’s incredible the power she has on him. This simple gesture manages to appease him almost immediately and he lets his body relax on the couch. 

He realizes he felt asleep only when Nat caresses his cheek to wake him up. Still half asleep, he takes her tiny hand in his and kisses her palm. 

« I’m in, Steve. »

He looks at the screen. Indeed, Nat has successfully completed her operation and is now connected to Russian servers. Steve is watching the pictures live. Nat focused all the research on Greenland. Despite high technology, images remain blurred or incomplete due to the magnetic disturbance. However, they are able to distinguish an organization into concentric circles. Thanos' army is huge. If he ever decides to put it into action, as things stand at the moment, there is very little chance that anyone will be able to stop him. In the centre of the circle, a kind of base can be seen, as big as a football field.

« It’s awful Steve, we… We can’t. If he decides to attack, we will never be able to handle it. » she says, staring at the screen. 

Steve takes her chin between his fingers and lifts it up to make her look at him. 

« Listen to me, » his voice is calm and confident « we will. We will manage because you and I are connected. We will succeed because I swear we won’t be alone if he attacks. We will succeed because the Avengers will stand the ground. WE will stand our ground. We already saved Earth twice. We won’t fail protecting it once more. » 

He catches one tear falling on her cheeks with his thumb. 

« We will do everything we can to win. And as Tony would say, if we can’t protect Earth, we will avenge it for sure. » he smiles. 

Nat smiles back and Steve feels a little better knowing he changed her mood a little bit. She pecks his lips and pulls away. She lies down, her head on his nap. His heart flinches when his eyes lay on hers. She has huge black under-eye circles, way sharper than before. He noise that recently, she seems more pale and even skinnier than before, although they manage to eat so much as they did so far. He hopes she isn’t sick, because it would mean he is leading her directly to her death. As strong as she is, even she can’t fight endlessly while being sick. 

« Who are you staring at, Rogers? » 

He snaps back to reality and meets her beautiful green eyes. God, he would do anything to see color on her face again. 

« You’re beautiful, » he whispers softly. « and I love you »

« Chessy » she replies, a smile on her face. 

She doesn’t add anything and Steve knows she won’t anyway. She isn’t that much of a talker, even with him, especially about her feelings. She trusts him, but she was raised to believe everything is better kept inside. Since they are together, she has been slowly opening up to him, but it is still difficult for her to express what she feels, to put words over her emotions and she thanks Steve almost everyday for understanding that part of her. That is the reason whys never tells him « I love you » for example. It doesn’t bother him. He knows what she feels, and he won’t put pressure on her to say. She will do it on her own, when she is ready. Besides, the only time she said it to him was before a mission she nearly got killed in. She taught it would be the last time seeing him and that thus it was worth give it a try. Steve prefers never hearing this again but keep her safe forever instead. 

She curls up against him and lets her body rest, cradled by the heat that emanates from him. Steve takes her bride-style in his arms and brings her to the bed. He covers her with the blankets. She is ready fast asleep. He decides to let her rest and goes back to the living room to study the pictures. 

***

« Maybe we could go by- »

« Too noisy » she cuts him.

« Even to get closer? If we stay far enough, it wouldn’t be a problem » 

« Steve, we can’t take any risk. We don’t know what kind of technology they use. Maybe they have detector way more powerful than the latest technology on Earth. We don’t know that! They could detect us and kill us on the spot. »

Steve sighs. He doesn’t know what to suggest anymore. They have been studying the damn pictures for three hours now and haven’t come to any plan yet. Suddenly, an idea hits him.

« And by plane? » he wonders.

She raises her elbow. 

« What do you mean? »

« We take a plane. We go above it. We jump »

« Just like that? »

« Just like that » he confirms.

« Worth a try »

She concentrates on the image again and zooms in the roof. 

« See that little hole there? » she says, pointing at the screen

« mhhhh »

« I think it's a ventilation duct. We can infiltrate through here. On the other hand, once inside, we are completely blind, since we have no clue of what’s going on inside. »

« It will be necessary to look for places where as much information as possible can be accessed. »

« There must be a storage or security centre like the S.H.I.E.L.D. As powerful as he is, he still needs protection for his people, just in case. We locate them, infiltrate, hack, exit and then we warn everyone. »

Steve agrees. Due to his musculature, he would prefer fighting but they have to stay low if they want to understand what Thanos has in store for them. He can’t but worry, fear growing in his heart. Something is wrong about all of this. Why just staying there? Why doesn’t he go out and look for the stones? What is he waiting for exactly? Too many unanswered question. Yet, he pushes them away and concentrates to help Nat finding a way in. 

« As we did for S.H.I.E.L.D, you stay low until I reach the security room. I’ll guide you from there and then we get out. We clearly can’t face him alone and I know they will help us hunting him down. We don’t care about who is talking to who, this is beyond our differences. Billions of people are going to die. »

« As soon as we get out, we contact Wanda to bring Pietro and Vision in. Go back to New-York and get to the tower. »

«Warning Tony. Team up. Let’s go get that son of a bitch » she goes on, smiling.

« Language! » he laughs.

« Would you quit doing this? Shit, Captain we are in the 21st century, people do say bad words now! » she teases him a little bit, smirking.

« What can I say? I’m an old man. »

« Sure you are Grand Pa! »

She knows how much he hates this nickname and indeed, it doesn’t take long for him to run after her across the house. He grabs her as she enters the bedroom and they both fell on the bed, carried away by their impulse. They catch their breathe, lying side to side. 

« So, when do we leave? » he says, turning his head to look at her. 

« Tomorrow? » she replies with hope.

He agrees. Time to be back in action. 

« Let’s get that son of a bitch. »

Her eyes open wild as she ears him saying this. A real, big smile appears on her face.

« Let’s go get that son of a bitch » she approves.

***

Thanos watches outside as he stands at the entrance of his base, while thousands of people are working on finishing it. The last few days have been really intense, but he feels like he is getting close. Earth is a very fascinating planet, even though it is one of the weakest on the galaxy. He spends hours observing the earth population, collecting information. 

The most interesting thing to point out is that wherever he goes, the population has the same weird behavior. Most of people don’t know they need something so much until it’s gone. And now that the Avengers are gone, Earth seems to be a real mess, which is perfect for him. The planet lost her best defenders, because of a lie of paper. He laughs. Humans can be really surprising. A pile of paper succeeded where an alien army and a robot didn’t. Ironic. 

He goes back inside and walks toward the middle of the compound. A gaping hole opens up before him. All the vats of his "children" gathered in front. His army, the end of the Avengers. Thanos knows that his goal has always been to destroy half the universe in an impartial and random way. However, for the first time, it is different. The Avengers are too big a threat to his plan and he can't decently take the risk of retaliation. That’s why theses creatures are here. He must kill, kill them all to be sure his purpose stays alive once accomplished. 

« Sir, we are nearly done with their installation. » a man says, kneeling. 

« Fine. Don’t forget to link them all with the pipes. »

« Yes sir »

He watches as the scientists finalize the system. Each tank is connected to its neighbors by long pipes and all the pipes go upwards to the laboratories. There, a single inlet allows lab technicians to pour a product into all the pipes at the same time, allowing extremely fast and efficient genetic modifications. Once he gets what he is looking for, it’ll only take 5 minutes to upgrade and terminate his army. 

He smiles and breathe deeply. He can already feel peace. It’s not there yet, but so close he can nearly touch it. Peace. It resonates in his head softly. Some people might say it isn’t peace. It’s mass murder. But it’s not. He is giving the whole universe a chance to start again. To improve. To be better. He has a lot of examples to give. Gamora’s native planet, Zehoberei. Since he executed half the population, children can live without fearing starvation. The planet is prosperous and trade is growing at a high speed. Everything is perfect. And he wants the same fate for every planet across the galaxy.

« All mighty Thanos, we are ready for the last modification. »

Thanos comes back to reality and tilts his chin down. Ebody Maw is right in front of him, bowing. 

« Great my child » he answers with his calm voice. « We only miss one thing now. »

« Don’t worry father. We will get what you need. We won’t fail » 

Proxima has entered the room and stands now next to Maw. 

« I know you won’t. You never do. Just find it, and bring it to me right away. We don’t have much time left. »

Both Maw and Proxima look up at each other, confusing. However, it only lasted one second, both returning at looking at the ground almost immediately. Yet, it is true. Thanos feels it. The stones are draining his life away, slowly. Whatever he has to do, it has to be quick. Yet, he knows they will be here soon, he knows it. And when they arrive, it will get what he needs.

***

Nat isn't very confident right now. Squatting in front of the toilet, she wipes her mouth and flushes. It's not the first time she's vomited and considering how she feels, it's probably not the last. 

She has been really sick recently, and has tried her best to hide it from Steve. She doesn’t want him to worry more than he already does. Besides, it’s probably just her body reacting against the hard life they have had since the Civil War. That’s what she tells herself, even if it’s not very convincing. She was trained, raised to face this kind of situation and even a lack of food shouldn’t be a problem.

She stands up and goes back to the bedroom, where Steve is sleeping silently. His hand is placed where her body should be, as if he unconsciously feels her absence and waits for her to return. She smiles at the little scene. Yeah, Steve is probably one of her best miracle. She wishes she could just go back to sleep, but she doesn’t feel like doing so. She isn’t sleepy anymore and her stomach hurts too much to let her rest anyway. She leaves without a noise, closes the door, and opens her computer to study their enemies’ base one more time. Before she can even enter the password, she finds herself running into the bathroom again, puking into the toilets. As she cleans it once more, she feels like something’s wrong. She takes her laptop and looks at the date. 

Her eyes open wild as she reads it. No! It can’t be this late already. She is more than one week late. Even with the ceremony, her body still bleeds every month. Until today. But it can’t be, can it? She starts panicking and trembling. It’s true that she and Steve never used condoms, first because it feels better without it, and secondly, because they never felt the need for it, as Natasha cannot have children. However, her current condition might fail the statistics. 

Without wasting one more minute, she grabs her bag, changes her clothes, puts her hat and sunglasses on and sneaks outside the house without waking up Steve. She takes the car and drives to the nearest town. There, she finds a drugstore and takes the chance to buy everything they need for the operation, without forgetting the pregnancy test. She rushes on the way back and renters the house. The whole operation took her about one hours but it is still early (only 4 am) and Steve is still sleeping like a baby in the bed. 

She is afraid. For the first time of her life, she is truly afraid. As she walks toward the bathroom, she is crossed by a million feelings at the same time. Fear, sadness, but surprisingly also joy and excitement. A million question cross her mind. 

« What if it is real? Am I ready? Will I be able to raise a child? How can we be parents, when we don’t even have a home? I can’t raise a child properly right now! No, I can’t have child, I am not ready, I am not… I can’t be a mother, I won’t be good, he will be sad, he’ll grow up badly… How canI show him affection, when I am just a heartless assassin? »

Tears crash on the ground. She didn’t noticed she had started crying. She shakes her head. Whatever it is, she has to find out one way or another, so it better be fast. She takes the test in her hand. Time to face reality. 

***

« Ready to go? » 

Nat nods her head, indicating him that she is ready. Silently, she walks and jumps in the car, Steve following her. He takes place in the driver’s seat and frowns when she curls up and looks away. He doesn’t know why, but she has been acting weirdly since this morning. He knows she didn’t sleep that much, probably anxious about what’s before them. He drives, glancing at her from time to time. Nat doesn’t dare looking at him. She just can’t. She knows that if she looks at him, she won’t be able to resist the urge inside her telling her to talk to him. She needs to sort out her feelings first. So, she can’t tell him, not now.

She can’t tell him that after following the instructions, she sat on the ground, waiting anxiously for the result.

She can’t tell him that with a single bip, it warned her that the analysis were ready. 

She can’t tell him that her hands shaking, she took it and looked at the results. 

She can’t tell him three words, three words that changed her life in three seconds.

Just three words, as powerful as a nuclear bomb in her head.

Positive. One month.


	6. Chapter VI

That’s it. They are here, just above Thanos’ base. Steve looks at Natasha. She looks very tired and sick. Yet, he doesn’t dare to ask anything. He knows that she isn’t in the mood to talk right now. The journey hasn’t been easy so far, and it’s nothing compared to what’s coming. Steve looks at the organization below. He thinks about everything they had to do just to get there. 

Getting to the airport was quite easy. Finding a plane to borrow was slightly more difficult. First, they went back to the United States. Then Natasha came up with that crazy, insane idea. Steve knew he was screwed up the very moment he looked in her eyes. 

« No! » he said firmly. « You- We aren’t doing this. »

« Come on! You know this is the only way! Where else could we find a jet to borrow? » she asked him. 

Steve sighed. Once again, she was right. But it killed him to admit it.

« Okay, fine but tell me: how do two highly wanted fugitives manage to break into one of the world's most secure places, in this case, the base of the Avengers, to steal a jet, without being recognized or arrested? » 

She smirked. 

« There’s a secret way. Tony didn’t include it in the plans but did build it. It was supposed to be unknown but you know I’m the best spy in the world. The entry is in the forest, one kilometer north. And it leads directly to the garage. It was in case the compound collapsed. We would still have a way out. »

Steve smiled. He had never been prouder to have her by his side. He moved with her toward the direction she indicated him. As she said, the secret passage was still there. They smiled. Maybe, after all, Tony wasn’t as angry as they thought. Because he perfectly knew that Natasha had discovered it and yet, he didn’t block it. Steve broke the door and they entered the tunnel. It took them fifteen minutes to reach the garage, as they walked slowly. None of them knew exactly what kind of security the tunnel was equipped with so they took it slow and stayed alert, just in case. As expected, the garage was silent and empty. The Avengers being apart, the compound had no utility anymore. It was just a huge empty block. The dust had already started covering the engines. Steve and Nat froze, thinking about all the things that happened here. They could still hear the jet landing, hear Tony’s announcements in the microphone. They could still smell food being cooked in the kitchen, smell the sweaty smell of the sports hall. 

Steve felt a hand on his cheek and realized he was crying softly when Nat caught a tear with her thumb. So many regrets and so many things left unsaid. They were holding my chest and tightened it, leaving him with pain and sorrow. He placed his hand on Nat’s and appreciated the coldness of her hand. 

They ran toward the quinjet and stepped in. Steve turned it on and immediately, F.R.I.D.A.Y’s voice came out nowhere. 

« Identify yourself, please. »

« Steve Rogers »

« Access denied. » Steve frowned. 

« Black Widow » Natasha tried. 

« Access denied. »

Natasha closed her eyes. A small smile appeared on her face as she whispered « Goddamnit Tony ». She took a deep breath before saying:

« Natalie Rushman. »

« Welcome, Scariest Avenger »

She smiled and sat at the driver’s seat. Steve took place in the seat beside her. He was still looking distant, as I the jet remained him of some old good souvenirs. Nat noticed it. 

« It’s fine, » she whispered « it’s going to be fine, I promise you »

And he believed her.

***

« Go first, I am right behind you. » He orders. 

She nods, and jumps. Immediately, the wind vient lui gifler le visage. Elle adore la sensation. Elle a toujours aimé. Sauter en parachute est une des passions qu’elle a découverte en intégrant le shield. She never misses the opportunity to jump, whether it is a small file extraction or a huge invasion. Elle aime l’adrénaline que lui procure chaque saut, la force que lui oppose l’air, la vitesse de la chute, son cœur qui s’envole. Alors elle ferme les eyes et laisse l’air la porter. 

Depuis le jet, Steve regarde le corps de nat s’éloigner. Bientôt, elle n’est plus qu’un point. Il noue son parachute autour de sa taille. 

« Friday, we’ll be back soon. Just stay alert. »

« Should I stay up, Captain? »

« No, they could notice you and shoot you. Land somewhere and wait for my call »

« Okay, boss »

Steve runs and jumps. Contrary to Nat, he doesn’t really like it. It remains him too much of his own crash, of his impuissance. He loves having his feet on earth. He misses his motorbike. With the run, it’s been more than one year since he last rode it. Once everything is over, he promises he’ll take nat out for a ride, just the two of them. They’ll go far away, where no one can find them. He pulls the lace and his parachute opens. Nat has already landed. Steve lands by her side and gets rid of his aisle. They walk toward the air ventilator. 

« There it is,» she whispers. 

Steve nods, unable to talk. 

« Don’t forget. Just information. No fights, just be discreet. »

Steve nods again. They stay still, not knowing what to do or to say but unable to walk away from each other. 

“Natasha...” Steve begs.   
  
She turns around to face him and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug.

« I love you. » She whisper-kisses him.

He places a hand on her mouth.

« Don’t »

« Don’t what,» she replies, taking his hand in hers. 

« Please don’t do this »

« Don’t do what Steve? »

« You’re saying goodbye. Don’t do this. Don’t say it. It’s not goodbye it’s… »

She cuts him with a kiss, a real kiss. A deep kiss, conveying everything she feels for him. Everything she can’t tell him and everything she wants to say. It’s desperate, sad but full of love anyway. She presses her body against his, not wanting to pull away from him. She needs him. Desperately. Endlessly. He must feel the same desire, cause he places his hand on her tights to lift her up. He pushes her against the wall and it is very difficult for both of them to think straight. 

« Steve, I- »

« Shhhhh » he groans angrily, « not now. »

She wants it as much as he does. Her body screams at her to give up and continue, but now isn’t the right time.

« STEVE! » she pinches him, bringing him back to reality.

He lets her go, as red as a tomato, trying to catch his breath. 

« You… It’s not fair. You’re a living temptation, being that beautiful should be forbidden. »

She smiles but it only lasts one second. Her face darkens again and she tenses up. Steve comes closer and faces her.

« Let’s go,» he says seriously.

Nat feels her heart racing. She realizes that right now might be the last time she sees him. They aren’t fools. They are fully aware that their chances are low. They both know this. Yet, Natasha wonders. Should she tell him? It might be the last time seeing him. He deserves to know. But on the other hand, knowing him, he would call off the mission immediately and take her away. 

« Steve… I-I am p- »

« Don’t. Please. I already don’t want to leave you so please don’t say anything… or I won’t be able to leave you. Turn on your earpiece.»

She nods in agreement. One last peck on her lips and he is gone, jumping in the ventilation. She turns her earpiece on and jumps into the tunnel.

***

Steve must admit he is surprised. He didn’t expect it at all. Where shield is all about the basement and underground rooms, Thanos’ base is full of light and clear. Huge green spaces with a lot of trees compose the compound. Each space has a particular theme and so far, Steve has visited more unknown planets than places on earth. Every new space is a surprise, good or not. In the last space he crossed, Steve had to fight with some space rat which wanted to bite his leg. 

“For God's sake, how many rooms this place has..?” He whispers.

He smiles, hearing a little voice in his head saying “language”. He knows he is the one who said this first but the voice sounds amazingly like Natasha’s. 

He searches for what seems to be hours but never manages to find something it’s a storage room.

« Nat? Natasha? »

« Yes? »

« Are you okay? »

« Yes, I found the security room! »

« I can’t find an archive room! »

« It doesn’t matter I got everything here, come back! »

« Okay, on my way. »

Steve turns his head and looks behind him. Everything is silent in the corridor. He starts running again and makes his way across the compound. He reaches the security room, where he catches up with Natasha. 

« Have you found something? » he asks her. 

« Not yet,» she replies, still looking at the screens. She looks at him, and he spots confusion in her eyes. « Something’s wrong » she adds, « this is unusual. Only a few guards, not even a huge security organization… It feels like a trap. » 

As soon as he hears her saying that, something hits his mind. His dream. The dream he made about one week ago. 

« Natasha we have to leave. »

« Why? »

« We have to leave. NOW! » 

She looks at him confused. 

« Why do we- »

The bomb explodes right underneath them. The whole room starts to crumble. He is ejected against the wall under the force of the explosion.

« Natasha! NO GOD NOT AGAIN! » he screams.

« Steve! » she answers.

He runs towards her, knowing exactly what he has to do. He moves the debris and stones that separate him from her once more. 

« I think I have a broken ankle… » she lets out almost whispering, pain in her voice. 

« I know, I know Come on please, hold on, I’ll be here soon» he tries to comfort her. 

He curses quietly, damning the obstacles that stand between him and the woman he loves. Even if he uses all his strength, the amount of rocks is so important that he feels like it is never going to end. After ten minutes, he takes a look at Natasha. She is still holding the edge of the wall, but with only one hand and she seems to be close to faint. Her skin is white as a sheet, she has a deep cut on the cheek and she barely manages to keep her eyes open. Steve talks to her, to keep her awake until he can each her. He finally throws the last rock away and he runs to catch her arm. 

« Steve… » she whispers, looking at him.

« Come on honey, it’s okay, I got you,» he says, closing his hand tightly around her arm.

It feels so real. His nightmare has become true and he is scared.

« Nat look at me. There’s a second bomb nearby and she is going to explode soon. I don’t have time to get you out so you have to hold on tight okay? » he says as he brings her quickly in his arms. 

She nods and holds him tight, a scared look in the eyes. Yet, when the second bomb explodes, there’s nothing he or she can do to stay together. The ground cracks and separates them. In the same slow motion as in his dreams, Steve watches the ground slip under Natasha's legs and her body fall. He is paralyzed and can only cry out in agony in the face of his helplessness. He thinks of himself and watches her disappear into the icy waters of the North. 

*****

This is the end. This is HIS end. That’s what he has been repeating to himself for the last fifteen minutes. He can’t believe it actually happened. His throat hurts him so much he screamed. He is driving the jet back home and tears are still falling down his cheeks. F.R.I.D.A.Y’s voice resonates inside the plane. 

« Do you want me to drive home, Captain? »

Steve doesn’t feel tired, but he knows he has to sleep to forget the pain for a few hours. He feels like his chest has been open in half and that nothing can put the two parts back together. 

« Yes, thank you F.R.I.D.A.Y » he hears his voice speaking.

« Where to, Captain? »

Steve doesn’t hesitate a bit. 

« HQ. »

This is not about how talks to who anymore like Nat said a few days ago. This is about war. This is about revenge. This is about justice. Nat died fighting for a cause and now he is going to fight it, alone if he has to. He needs help and he is going to get it from the only persons he knows able to face this. He failed in protecting her. Now he is going to do everything he can’t to not fail her inheritance. He promises. 

*****

« Is it going well, Sir? »

« It is going perfectly, my child »

Thanos is standing in the middle of the security room, where Steve and Nat stood a few minutes back. Staying still, he watches the sky, looking at the jet quickly flying away from the base.

« Reality must be hard for him, right now,» Ebony Maw says, talking about Steve. 

Thanos smirks. He looks at his glove, where the reality stone is shining like the sun. 

« Reality is whatever I want it to be. »

He moves his hand. Slowly, the floor is being repaired, the furniture is being reformed, the keys of the computer keyboards are returning to their place. Soon, there is no trace of the explosions. 

« Poor boy, he doesn’t even know he was trapped in an illusion… »  
« He was doomed the very moment he jumped in that air duct. Do you have what I asked for? » 

Ebony Maw moves his hand and something comes down from the ceiling, levitating.

« She didn’t have a chance, weak as she is. We had her right when she went out of the air duct. » 

Thanos looks at Natasha, unconsciously floating in the air. 

« That’s perfect. With her, I can achieve my destiny. »

« What about the soldier? »

« He believes she is dead. He mourns her. He will try to come again, it’s his nature. However, we now have one of his weaknesses. And we will use it, » He smiles wilder « to destroy him completely. »


	7. Chapter VII

When Nat comes back to reality, it takes her a few seconds to remember what happened. Her mind feels like it’s stuck in a fog. Air ventilator… Going out of it… a brief light and then… Nothing. The dark. She doesn’t know where she is. One thing she has learned is that first when you’re in the dark, you have to get information. Still eye-closed, she focuses on the different parts of her body, one by one. Except for a slight headache and her grumbling stomach, everything seems fine. Oh.. And she is handcuffed. Of course. Typical. However, she hasn’t been tortured… yet. Slowly, almost imperceptible, she opens one eye and takes a look around for two seconds. Ok, she must admit she is surprised, which is rare enough to be underlined. That’s not what she expected. Instead of being in a dark, old room with traces of torture everywhere, she lies on a bed, surrounded by pipes, computers and chemical equipment. If it wasn’t for the weird smell of dust and garbage, she could have sworn she was in Bruce’s lab. 

« Finally, you’re awake… »

Quick as lightning, she turns her head to the right and stares at the giant looking at her. Thanos. She hasn’t met him but Natasha is sure this is him. Her instinct never fails her. Sitting on a chair, he seems to have waited a long time. 

« What time is it? » she asks in a sharp breath.

« Earth time, 6.12 am »

6.12 am. 6.12 am. It means she has been out for almost 18 hours. She looks at him, carefully. On his right hand, four glowing stones can be spotted. So it was true… Even though Nat already knew about it, facing reality, this rough reality, affects her more than she thought it would. She looks around, to see if she can get more information, but there’s nothing more than what she has already seen. Just Thanos and her. No Steve. She sighs of relief. If Steve isn’t here, there are two possibilities. First, he is captured and kept in a room somewhere else. Second, he escaped and is currently safe outside. Nat prays for the second one. Or everything is lost for good. If he is outside, it means he can always come back and get her. 

« I wouldn’t count on it if I were you. »

As if he had read in her mind, Thanos looks at Natasha. She looks at him back, a quiet question in the eyes. 

« He believes you are dead »

She holds a gasp and looks at him hard. 

« He will come back. If it’s not for me then it is for you »

« And I’m counting on it »

Even if she keeps a stone face on, it’s the second time in a short period that Natasha finds herself being surprised. And she doesn’t like it. At all. 

« Why? » is the only word she manages to pronounce. 

« I need something from him, and you’re going to help me. »

« He will never give it to you, not even for me. »

« Oh my child, he will… Love is a particular feeling, a weakness. It will be his. »

« What are you going to do, kill me? He already believes I am dead. »

« Oh no, I am not going to kill you. You will be the light of his life and his worst nightmare. You will wipe him in half. And once he will cry for death, I’ll give him what he claims for. »

Natasha’s eyes are crossed by an angry light.

« You won’t touch him »

« Don’t get angry. You’re going to need all your strength »

Nat shivers. Whatever it means, she better has to get mentally prepared. She wouldn’t stress that much if it wasn’t for the little human being she is currently carrying inside herself. Thanos mustn’t discover this, or things are going to get even more complicated. 

« He is already half-broken » Thanos adds. « So I am not going to kill you. You are going to suffer. I am going to give him hope, and break him completely»

« Why? Why does he matter so much? Why him? » 

« What makes him so special? » he simply answers before leaving. 

***

Thanos didn’t lie when he said she was going to suffer. It’s only been two hours, but Natasha feels like it’s been a month. Even if she thought she knew a lot about torture, she must admit she was wrong. Her whole body aches and she is fighting every second to avoid passing out. From the outside, she seems fine. No injuries, no bruises can be spotted on her body. But on the inside, things are way rougher. A lab rat, that’s what she has become. For the last two hours, they have been testing various kinds of serums, to see how her body reacts to them. Tenth. The last injection they made a few minutes ago was the tenth. It burned her from the inside. All her muscles tensed up hard for seven minutes straight and a long painful scream escaped her throat even if she tried to hold it back. It was just too much. Then suddenly, all her strength abandoned her and she fell on the bed again, breathing with difficulty. She looks down at her belly and her panties to catch any sign of miscarriage but for now, it looks like the baby is also resisting from the inside. That’s a surprise, because Natasha has already seen miscarriages for less than this and because the injections attack her directly where the baby is supposed to be, she should have shown signs long ago. Her heart warms a little. If the little human being in her stomach has decided to fight, maybe she can do the same for him. 

Five hours. It’s been five hours. Nat doesn’t know how long she can go on like this. Her heart is banging against her rib. Each breath is torture. She is sweating and has probably a fever. She tries to focus, but her head feels heavier minute by minute as well as her eyelids. It’s not normal. None of this is normal. She wants to go out. She wants to disappear. None of this should happen. She should be with Steve, announcing him about the pregnancy and feeling light as he hugs her and makes her whirl in the air, laughing. She should be calling Wanda to tell her she is about to be an aunt. She should be listening to Clint giving her advice about taking care of a child. She should be anywhere but here. She wants Steve. She wants her family. She is tired, too tired. Her heart clenches and she holds back a sob. No, the Black Widow mustn’t cry. She is strong and she doesn’t need anyone. 

She hears footstep coming toward her and immediately put on her stone face again. No one must know her true feelings, a question of survival. A man in a white lab coat walks carefully to her left and she knows she is good for another suffering round. 

« Please don’t… » she lets out. She usually isn’t that much of a supplicant but now she needs a break. She can’t feel her body anymore, as if her mind is detached from her body. 

The man doesn’t answer or even look at her. He slowly approaches a syringe from Natasha's arm and pierces her skin with the tip of the needle. Nat can't help trying to escape, her protective instinct and spy training taking over her body like automatisms. But her weak attempts do not even shake the cold metal stretcher on which she has been lying for hours. She screams one more time as she feels the liquid running through her veins. Her last thought before passing out is that she should have listened to Steve and stayed hidden while there was still time. 

***

Steve stares at the ceiling, in the same position as three hours ago. He didn’t know where to go, so he went to the only place that he knew would be able to help him a little, but he is starting to have doubts. Three hours, and still no news. He turns his head and looks at the logo on the wall. The Avengers. His family. Yes, he went back to HQ. As soon as he put a foot on the floor, he was surrounded by a bunch of agents and dragged down here. Since then, he has been waiting for someone to show up. He has been trying to turn his mind away from Natasha, but the pain in his chest constantly brings him back to her. A tear escapes his left eye and he wipes it off. He can’t mourn her, not now. He will allow himself all the sadness when Thanos is defeated for. That’s his mission, his last mission. He doesn’t want to fight anymore. Thinking about fighting without her is already painful, so he can’t imagine how it will be once and if he gets to it. One thing is sure, whatever happens now, his last fight is soon. 

It takes two more hours before somebody shows up in his cell. Steve finds. Himself surprised again. He expected anyone but the man standing in front of him. He stands and faces the man that he once fought. 

« Cap,» Tony says with a tired voice « long time no see »

« Tony » is all he manages to say. 

Tony raises his eyebrow. Something is wrong he can feel it. 

« Cap, where are the others? »

Steve’s heart clenches at his question. 

« Unknown location for Sam, Vision, and Wanda. And Natasha… » his voice breaks. 

He thought he could be strong but he was wrong. Tears start falling uncontrollably down his cheeks and nothing can stop it. He falls on his knees and lets go of all the pain he has been through the past few hours. The mention of her name is too much. His body is shaking, out of control. Tony can’t believe it. He stares at the wall, hoping for this to be a huge joke, a punishment they created for making them suffer. He stares at the wall, expecting to see her appearing at any moment behind him, as she knows so well how to do it. But time goes by and nothing happens. Only Steve’s loud sobs break the silence. Tony feels paralyzed. Of all the Avengers, it has to be her. He Nevers says it, but he cares about her more than he shows it. She cared about him and took care of him when nobody else did and it touched him. He feels pain going slowly through his veins, going down his legs, hitting his heart. Steve looks up at him, still on his knees. 

« I… » his voice is just a whisper « I need help Tony, please… There’s… we must stop- »

« I know » Tony cuts him off, his eyes still stuck on the wall. 

« How? » Steve lets out in a sob.

« Because I told him. » 

Emerging from the darknesses, Wanda looks at him in despair. Steve doesn’t even question her knowledge, he is perfectly aware of her ability to know whatever happens in the world.

« Please Steve tell me it isn’t true, tell me I didn’t lose one more family member… » she shakes her head « Tell me I didn’t lose the only sister I have ever had! » 

Even though Steve wants so hard to tell her it isn’t true, his pain is too much to bear and he just looks at her with watery eyes. When pain hits her, Wanda falls on her knees and lets her power explode, reducing to ash every single object surrounding her, including Steve’s cell bars. Vision bends next to her and pulls her into a tight embrace. Wanda buries her face in his neck and just cries her heart out. 

It takes Tony five minutes to regain control of his body. When he does so, he walks toward Steve and stands in front of him. Quickly, he offers his hand to Steve.

« We are going to stop him. Together. For her. » 

Steve takes Tony’s hand and stands up, looking at Tony with all the gratitude he can. He tries to say something but his voice seems to be gone.

« I know Cap » Tony weakly smiles.

They both turn to Wanda, who is still crying in Vision’s arms. With a nod, Vision indicates that he is in too. He turns his head and whispers to Wanda:

« Wanda, I know it’s hard but you have to stand. If it’s not for me, or the world, do it for her. Billions are going to die if we don’t act. »

Slowly, Wanda nods and wipes her tears. She stands up, Vision by her side and looks at Steve with a broken but determined look, the same look as Steve must give her right now, he is sure about it. 

« First of all, we have to get you three out of here » Tony decides. 

Steve nods, willing to be free as soon as possible to start acting against Thanos. 

« How do we do that? » he asks.

« Contrary to what you may think, there are a lot of people praying for you to be back Cap » Tony smirks. 

Steve frowns. « Who? »

Tony doesn’t answer but Strats walking out. Returning Wanda’s interrogative look, Steve follows him. What is Tony up to?

***

« Fury, you son of a bitch »

Steve sits down, feeling his legs weak because of all the recent emotions he has been through. Nick Fury stands before him, as unreadable and serious as before. 

« You’re welcome, Captain » Fury answers before returning to the control system. 

Flying at more than eight kilometers high, the helicarrier is slowly making his way North, invisible in the blue sky. 

« It’s been more than a year. Why rescuing us now? » Steve asks with a cold tone. 

All he can think now is how it would have been different if they had been rescued earlier. Maybe Nat would still be alive. 

« Yesterday, I lost one of my two best agents. I guess I just couldn’t afford to lose the other one. »

Knowing Nick, it’s the closest words from expressing his care and sadness he has ever pronounced. Steve would be touched, if it hasn’t been in such a situation. But right now, his heart is just filled with anger and regrets, knowing that they were all here watching and that they didn’t anything to help or rescue them. 

Suddenly, a man bursts into the room and looks directly at Steve. 

« Where is she? » he asks coldly. 

« Agent Barton, I’m going to ask you to calm down. » 

Ignoring his director’s orders, Clint goes to Steve and repeats. 

« Where. Is. She? »

« Clint, she is dead and you know it. » Tony says, trying to calm him down with a hand on Clint’s shoulder. 

« SHE ISN’T DEAD! HE WAS WITH HER SO SHE MUST BE ALIVE SOMEWHERE SHE CAN’T BE DEAD! »

« Agent! One more word and you’re suspended! » Nick threatens him. 

Clint punches Steve in his jaw and grabs him by the collar. As he pins him against the wall, Steve, not wishing to defend himself, can see all his suffering in his eyes.

« You had one job, Steve. You had to protect her! WHY ISN’T SHE HERE, WHY DIDN’T YOU PROTECT HER? »

Steve has nothing to say. He knows he should have protected her and saved her. As Clint releases him, he looks down, trying to hide the pain and feel of guilt burning up his stomach. 

« Clint » Wanda tries to talk to him « Doing this won’t bring her back. Steve did all he could do but sometimes it’s not enough »

« If he had done everything he could, she would be here, and he would be gone ! » he yells before leaving. 

Remaining silent, Steve leans against the wall, staring at the ground. Everyone in the room wishes to appease him, yet no one seems to find the words to do so. Finally, Fury breaks the silence. 

« Avengers, you got a mission »

***

Natasha has never been the type to complain and has always hated people who tend to do it too much. After all, her Red Room training prepared her for all kinds of situations and to her mind, complaining is synonymous with weakness. However, the exceptional circumstances in which she finds herself are seriously beginning to cause her to review her judgment. After the internal torture, it has now been almost three hours since the external torture began and Nat no longer counts the number of blows she has received. Her mind is foggy but she is doing what she can to protect her abdomen and baby, raising her knees to her chest like a shield and turning to the side to expose the least vulnerable part of her body at the moment. 

Strangely enough, the blows suddenly stopped five minutes earlier and Nat doesn't know if this is good news or not. Trying not to worry too much, she lies on her back and closes her eyes to find a little rest while she can. Ten minutes later, a man enters the room, Thanos just behind him. 

« You’re such a fighter my child, but in the end, this little game of yours is useless… » 

Natasha doesn’t respond, moving away from him until her back meets the wall. 

« I know you're carrying a child Natasha »

Still no answer. 

« You can stay silent, but it won’t make things easier for you, in fact, » he activates the space stone and lifts her as he approaches, paralyzing her body « it will only make it worse » he whispers, his face two inches from hers. 

Without a warning, he throws her across the room. Natasha gaps and feels oxygen leaving her lungs as she hits the wall hard and then the ground. An indescribable pain is tearing her spine apart and she can only pray with all her might for it not to impact her current pregnancy. She stays on the ground with her eyes closed, trying not to cry and waiting for the blows to come thick and fast again. But nothing happens. Instead, she hears Thanos leave the room silently. 

« Give her food and water » she hears him saying « and let her rest for today »

« What about the child? » 

For three horrible seconds, Thanos doesn’t answer. 

« Keep him alive... for now. It will help us to get back what we need »

That’s all Natasha can hear before darknesses win over her. 

***

As soon as Clint passes his entrance door, Laura can tell something’s wrong. His face is closed, pale and he is all tensed-up. He goes directly to their room and slams the door. Raising an eyebrow, Laura turns the water off and puts the plate she was cleaning and goes upstairs. She enters the room and finds him sitting on the bed, looking down. She slowly comes behind him and places a hand on his shoulder. 

« She is gone, » he lets out with a broken voice and a sharp breath. 

Laura doesn’t need more explanation to figure out who he is talking about. Her heart clenches and she squats before Clint, pulling him into a tight hug. Tears falling down her cheeks quietly, she strokes his hair softly, humming a calming song as she feels him shaking in her arms. 

« What happened? » she asks after a few minutes. 

« Steve and she went on a mission. They thought they could figure it out on their own but it turned out badly and she felt to her death, » he mumbles « He should have protected her! If he had protected her she would still be alive and be here with u- »

« Clint quit it » Laura orders « Steve probably did his best to protect her and is also suffering a lot. He loved her as much as you do. I know you need someone to blame but put the blame on the one behind everything, not Steve » she stands and turns quickly to the window. 

Clint looks up at his wife’s back. He stands and hugs her from behind. He places a wise kiss on her neck. 

« I’m sorry… I just miss her a lot. I couldn’t even say goodbye. »

« Why are you here? » she asks him. 

« What do you mean? »

« The world is in great danger. It needs the Avengers. Why are you here? »

« I couldn’t…. It was too much »

« Do you think she would want this? Do you think she would be okay seeing you mourning her instead of saving the world? »

« Probably not… » he smiles weakly.

« Then go back. Go back and then come back to me » she turns around and takes his face in her hands « Kill them and avenge her » 

He pecks her lips. « Thank you » 

« Always » she whispers. 

***

« The first question is who? Who will we bring in to fight him? » Tony wonders, sitting on the corner of the table. 

Sitting all around the table, the Avengers, at least the ones who are here, are trying to come to a plan. 

« Pietro will be here in less than 24 hours » Wanda indicates them.

Steve nods. « If we explain, I think T’challa will be in, as long as Shuri and the Dora Milaje. »

« What about your metal arm friend? » Tony asks.

« I’m not sure. If Shuri agrees, why not but otherwise we can’t risk freeing him and seeing him turning against us. »

« Agreed. Who else? » 

« Thor and Bruce? » Steve inquires.

« Unfortunately, unknown location » Fury interferes. « However, I called for some backup and if everything goes fine, we should have them back very soon »

Steve raises an eyebrow but doesn’t object. As long as Fury trusts his backup, he can too and any help is welcomed. 

« So it’s Wanda, Sam, Pietro, Steve, Thor, Bruce, Fury’s backup whoever that is, T’challa, Shuri, the Dora Milaje and me » Tony recaps. 

« That’s not enough » Steve mumbles. « Do you know how many of these things there were? »

« Enough for me to burst as many eyes as I can, I hope » a deep voice resonates.

Like one, all the Avengers turn their heads towards the door, where Clint is leaning. He enters the room and takes a sit.

« Let’s make something clear I’m doing this for her. Now what is it all about? » he declares, looking at Steve, « Does this mess has a name? »

Steve looks at him and takes a deep breath.

« Thanos »


	8. Chapter VIII

Natasha has completely lost track of time. She can't say if she's been held for a month or just a day, lying on the same damn table. However, there is one feeling that hasn't left her since she knew they discovered her pregnancy: fear. It's a somewhat new feeling for the assassin she is, and she hates it. She hates feeling weakened. But at the same time, she thanks God for every new session of torture she goes through without losing the baby. He's definitely already as strong as his father, that's for sure. She smiles unconsciously at the idea, while a pain pierces her chest. She'd give anything to be in his arms right now. She is tired of pretending to be strong, of smiling, of fighting, of carrying the responsibility of the world on her shoulders. She never thought she'd say this before, but she dreams of a house, a home, a family, taking her child to school in the morning, going shopping like everyone else, watching TV with hot chocolate in front of a fireplace in winter, fighting snowball fights, building sand castles in summer, going on a trip to Rome on a weekend. She suddenly thinks back to the discussion she had a few days earlier with Steve. He had asked her if she was considering retirement. She replied that she could never be a simple housewife. Watching television, seeing an attack somewhere, being scared but not moving because it's not her job to protect the world. But it's something she can never have. Never. She couldn't do it. Not anymore. Natalia the innocent one who wanted all this, who just wanted to grow up, died years ago in a cellar in Russia. Replaced by Black Widow, the cold, heartless, soulless, unscrupulous. Then to be replaced again by Natasha Romanoff, the agent of the S.H.I.E.L.D, an Avengers, a woman endowed with feelings and although it may surprise many, pregnant. Until then, Natasha finds this latest version to be the best of all. Being Natalia would probably have been great, but it would never have allowed her to be where she is today, to be who she is. That is probably her greatest pride. She owes it to many people, but she is still proud of it. And she'll do whatever it takes to make sure that red finally disappears from her ledger. 

« Why this smile, my child » Thanos asks her, pulling her out of her thoughts. 

She looks at him badly. 

« It's none of your business » she answers him in a cold voice. 

« You're thinking about him » 

It was not a question but rather a fact. Not wishing to answer but knowing full well that she cannot lie to him, Natasha decides to remain silent. 

« He won't come » 

Yet another fact, which affects Natasha in the heart, although she keeps a stoic face. 

« You don't know » she murmurs, seeking above all to reassure herself.

« I took care of that. » 

At this sentence, Natasha feels her heart beating violently against her chest. Her breathing is accelerating slightly. No, that's impossible... Steve can't be... He promised... How...

« He's not dead » 

Natasha feels her chest loosening slightly. So there is still hope, is there not? At least that's what she thinks before Thanos gave up:

« He thinks you're dead, though. » 

« How…" she starts, shaking her head to chase the feeling of compression out of her chest. 

Thanos closes the fist and activates the reality stone. Immediately, the room fades away and gives way to a universe unknown to Natasha. However, in Thanos' eyes, she guesses that it is Titan, his native planet. Lush, the planet is covered with greenery and trees with unknown fruits. A smell of forest after the rain and freshness hit Natasha hard, making her temporarily forget her condition. She looks at him silently, waiting for him to turn himself in. 

« Titan has always been prosperous, » he says, looking at her briefly, « before his overpopulation started to become a problem. So I offered a solution. Killing half the population impartially to ensure its survival. I was seen as a madman, I was rejected, but inevitably I knew how all this would end. And I was not mistaken. » 

He moves his fist and the vegetation disappears, leaving room for a large blaze. Natasha puts her hand to her mouth when she feels smoke seeping into her lungs. The smell and heat are unbearable. Instinctively, Nat places one hand on her belly, hoping that the toxic inhalation will not impact her pregnancy. 

« At that time, » Thanos says, « I was already gone. On other planets, I had already seen the same phenomenon and no one listened to me. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and look for the stones. I've almost reached my goal. I only need two more. »

« And once that's done, once half of it is gone, what will you do? » Natasha asks him still in a cold tone. 

« I will finally rest, admire the sunset on a new universe. »

« A universe based on blood and ashes. »

« You must know that, » he says, erasing his creation to bring them back to the lab. 

Natasha is holding her breath. Even if she already knows, it hurts to hear it again.

« I didn't kill half the universe. » 

« Does the number matter? Does it really matter Natasha? » he asks her, looking her straight in the eye « From the moment a life is taken, you are a murderer, no matter how many people you kill. So why only do things halfway? You might as well think big. Where you all see genocide, I see the greeting of the universe. It doesn't matter if I'm the only one who understands that. »

« It's not the same thing. I was what they made of me. »

« Are you really sure? » 

Again, Natasha doesn't know what to answer. Her old doubts come back to torment her. She tries to chase them away, while tears threaten to flow. 

« What did you do to Steve? » she asks, trying to divert the conversation

« I showed him his worst nightmare. » 

He adds nothing, preferring to show her the whole scene with the help of the stones. A tear rolls down her cheek as she sees Steve desperately trying to rescue her, and she closes her eyes when Steve's heart-rending scream reaches her ears. She can't even imagine what he must be feeling right now. 

« Why?» She whispers. 

« I need something. Something of his own. And he'll be very cooperative now that I have the two things that matter most to him. »

Helping her to get up, he guides her out of the laboratory to where the creatures of his army are stored. Natasha freezes when she sees one of them. 

« Beautiful, isn't it? And they will be even more so once they are finished. »

Natasha gives him an interrogating look. 

« They are missing one last element, the perfect hood for total reliability and ensuring the success of their mission » 

« Which is? »

Thanos looks at her. 

« The super-serum » 

Natasha stares at one of the vats, trying to imagine the creatures with Steve's strength. There is only one way out, the end of the world. 

« He will never give it... He will know how to do the right thing. He won't save me, not when half of humanity is at stake. » 

« We'll see about that. I'm betting the opposite, especially with a child. »

« You mentioned a mission, what is it? » 

Thanos smiles slightly. 

« The extinction of the Avengers » 

***

For nearly three hours, Natasha has been going over Thanos' words in her head. The extinction of the Avengers. Their disappearance. Such a deep trauma for the population that it would immediately become bogged down in chaos. On a large scale, panic can make men do crazy things. If Thanos succeeds in defeating them and showing this to the inhabitants of the Earth, it would be the collapse of the world system. People would try to run away, but where would they go? They will have nowhere to hide. Wherever they go, they wouldn’t be able to escape what’s coming. Banking systems will collapse because people will all try to get their money back. Since the world banks obviously do not have such a large amount in reserve, they will go bankrupt. There will be no more restraint. All kinds of account settlements. Murders. Revenge. Flights. Rape. Total chaos. The Earth would never recover, that's for sure. Natasha is sure of this. 

« It is inevitable, my child. But they will rise again. » 

Once again, Thanks interrupts the thread of her thoughts. 

« I have a completely different opinion on this. You don't know humans like I do. The Earth will not recover. »

« So it's because from the beginning, your specie was destined to disappear. » 

Natasha sighs discreetly. Impossible to have the last word anyway. 

« Come with me » he commands her. 

Natasha gets up, her body painful, and takes a few seconds to recover from the vertigo that overwhelms her. Spotting her confusion, Thanos uses the space stone to lift her up in the air and let her float next to him. They move from corridor to corridor, passing in front of dozens of doors, before entering a room with silver doors. In its centre is a platform that shines a deep blue and almost soothing in Natasha's eyes. It is large enough for several people and a chair is placed on it. Thanos sits Natasha there before two men come to tie her wrists. Natasha looks around, trying to find the utility of the machine, slightly panicked at the idea of a new torture session. 

« It's a tele-transmitter. It allows a holographic version of those on it to be sent in real time anywhere in the galaxy if it is provided with the necessary power. It is high time to send a message to the Avengers. » Thanos explains, staring in front of him. 

As soon as he finishes his explanations, the blue light intensifies. And the Avengers appear before them. 

***

« Is that really all we have on him? » Tony asks in a virulent tone. 

« It seems that everything about him is placed on a very encrypted and private list, sir. » 

« J.A.R.V.I.S., I infiltrated the pentagon at the age of 12 for fun. It's not the S.H.I.E.L.D. or even those morons on the board who are going to be smarter than me. Go through the dark web and then do the A617 protocol please. » 

« I'm launching the program. » 

Having witnessed the whole scene, Steve cannot help but wonder what this program is doing, but given his level of technological competence, he remains silent, probably saving himself a good headache. 

In the two days he's been here, it's been a hell of a fight. Dozens of phone calls to make and people to recruit. So far, they have made good progress at the Allied level. T'challa assured him of Wakanda's support in the event of a crisis and the return of Bucky, whose deprogramming is almost complete. Wanda, Vision and Sam are back, as well as Scott and Hope, both with their respective suits. Rhodes and Clint are of course still here and Doctor Strange is watching Thanos from the New York sanctuary which he cannot leave unattended. 

If on the Allied side, everything seems to be coming together, on the enemy side, things are much slower. For the past two days, they have been desperately trying to find information, to find a weak point, a flaw to exploit that could give them the advantage during the fight. In vain. And yet, God knows if Tony has explored every inch of the web. But nothing. In any case, nothing that can give them a clue as to how to beat him and it's seriously starting to get on the billionaire's nerves.

But as Steve is abut to suggest to bring everyone together to establish just the beginnings of a plan, a blue light invades the room, dazzling them all. Blindly, Steve grabs his shield while the characteristic sound of Tony's armor is heard. 

When the light returns to normal, Steve thinks he'll feel bad. Natasha stands right in front of them.

Steve freezes. Looks at her. Stop breathing when she lifts her emerald eyes to him, a tear on her cheek. This is not possible.... No, it's not.... Natasha is dead, she's dead! 

Working on their own, his legs start to move and he rushes towards her, before going through her like a ghost and spreading himself on the ground. 

« A holographic projection… » Tony whispers. 

Thanos still hasn't said a word, smiling as he looks at Steve. Tony presses a button, warning all the Avengers of imminent danger. In less than thirty seconds, all of them join them in the room. Wanda freezes as she enters the room. 

« Is that... is that live? » Steve whispers in a broken voice. 

« 100% live Captain » Jarvis informs him. 

« That's why… » Wanda whispers, her voice barely audible. 

Steve looks at her with an interrogating look. She points a finger at her head.

« I still feel her... but I thought it was because of the shock. I thought it was my own imagination trying to recreate her to avoid losing a family member again… » she explains between two tears. 

Pietro places a hand on her shoulder that she squeezes with all her strength. Natasha looks Wanda straight in the eyes, a new fear in the back of her eyes.

Thanos smiles more.

« Good, » he says in a calm voice, « Now that I have everyone's attention, it's time to talk. »

Steve is shaking with his whole body. The rage and pain he feels threatens to come out at any moment and he must concentrate with all his strength not to try anything stupid. 

« Natasha is dead. Why showing her to us? »

« She's alive, Steve, » Wanda says. 

« Impossible » He answers firmly, « I saw her die. She's dead. She's dead! »

Natasha looks at him, her eyes still fogged with tears.

« For your information, Captain, Natasha is alive and well. Her death was an illusion. After all, a little pain adds pleasure to usefulness. »

Steve can't hold back and throws his fist into the wall, creating a gaping hole in it. 

« I need something. And you're going to provide it to me. »

« If not? » Tony asks, knowing very well what Thanos will say. 

Thanos activates the power stone and glues it to Natasha's temple. Immediately, she screams and fine purple stripes pass through her body. 

« THAT'S ENOUGH! » Steve screams back. 

Thanos moves the stone away from Natasha, whose head falls backwards. Slowly, Nat looks at Wanda, fear still frozen in her eyes. Tears roll down her cheeks. Wanda looks at her too, holding a scream while putting her hand to her mouth. A new link enters her mind. Natasha nods slowly, crying for good this time. 

« No, that's not possible... I'm sorry Nat I didn't know! » she screams and cries. 

She reaches out her hand to try to touch Nat, but only go through her, just like Steve did before. 

« I'M SORRY, NATASHA, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND! » she screams as she looks at the one she considers her sister. 

Pietro looks at her perplexed. 

« What the hell are you talking about, Wanda? » he asks her, worried. 

Unable to answer, Wanda slides to the ground, her body shakes with uncontrollable tremors. Steve's stomach is twisting. What the hell is she talking about? 

« Now that you all are listening, here's the price. I want Captain America to surrender. Alive. In exchange for which, Natasha will leave. »

« Why me? » Steve asks

« You have something I want. »

« Steve, please don't come- » Natasha starts telling him, before being interrupted by Thanos who applies the stone against her forehead again. 

She screams in agony, Wanda screaming in unison with her this time. When he moves away again, a stream of blood escapes from Natasha's mouth and Wanda is curled up on the floor crying and holding her head. Pietro immediately comes to take her in his arms and appease her. Steve tries to hold back his tears, so much Natasha's screams tore his chest. 

« I'm waiting, Captain » 

And they both disappear.

« NO! » Wanda screams again. 

« Wanda, you're gonna have to explain to me. What's going on? What's going on? » Clint asks her 

« Natasha… » Wanda whispers « A new link… » she looks at Pietro, the panic on her face « New link! » is all she can say. 

Pietro opens his eyes wild when he realizes what Wanda's words mean. 

« Wanda, please, I need to know… » Steve moans at the young woman. 

« She... Baby » Wanda says in a sharp breath, looking Steve right in the eye. « Pregnant. Natasha is pregnant » she adds before she faints for good. 

And the world stops. 

***

« How is he doing? » Tony asks Clint, who just came back from Steve's room

« He's asleep. Bruce gave him a sedative at his request. With the super serum, I don't think it will work for very long, but given the circumstances... A few hours of respite will do him good. »

Tony nods, unable to answer. He sighs, letting the tired man appear behind the mask for a moment. 

« Knowing him, he's going to want to surrender. »

« I know... That's the whole problem. As hard as I want Natasha to come back safe and sound, we're talking about half of all living things. I think she too would not want him to surrender. Thanos wants something from him and that's precisely why he shouldn't go. »

Tony nods once again, agreeing with the archer's words. 

« What about Wanda? » 

« Pietro takes care of her. She suffers because of the link that binds her to Natasha and the baby too, but refuses categorically to cut it off. She says she would rather suffer and know Nat alive than be fine because she is dead. She also blames herself for not having understood earlier. »

« It's not her fault... If we weren't divided, if we hadn't fought... We would have faced it together and not just the two of them. We would have been ready. And Nat wouldn't be… » Tony sighs. 

« Both sides are wrong, but it's no longer a question of whether he's right or not. We are at war and we must be prepared. » 

« So let's get ready » a voice interrupts them. 

Tony and Clint turn around to find Maria at the door. 

« Maria » Tony greets her. 

« We've called for backup with Fury, they should be here soon. »

« Backup? » 

« You'll see. For now, let's keep looking. » 

Maria walks forward before putting files on the table. Tony and Clint come closer. It's time to get back to work. 

*** 

Lying on the bed in the room Thanos gave her, Natasha is crying all the tears in her body. The pain was bearable but seeing Steve so broken was overwhelming and she is now overwhelmed by her emotions. The fine lines left by the stone are still visible on her skin, especially on her belly. Nat puts one hand on her stomach, curled up on herself. Since the tele-transmission, her belly is on fire and she feels like she's being killed from the inside. Upon closer examination, Natasha notices red on the sheets underneath her. She stops breathing before she screams in horror. 

At the same time, Wanda screams in unison, unleashing her power by destroying the entire floor of the tower.


	9. IX

Natasha hugs the blanket full of blood. Her body trembles uncontrollably and tears tear her chest. She has never felt so weak, so vulnerable, but she doesn't care. Nothing matters anymore. Life no longer makes sense to her, so she prays Death every second to come and get her. 

Two hours earlier, after eight long hours of suffering and screaming, she had finally evacuated the baby. As big as a bean, he was barely visible in the middle of all the blood she had lost. Delicately, with tears rolling down her cheeks, she had wrapped him in the blanket that covered the bed, and rolled herself into a ball by holding it tightly against her chest. 

Since then, she's been crying. Crying for her lost baby without her knowing him, crying for her lost love, crying because she knows that Steve, although he will assure her otherwise, will necessarily resent her for having lost their child, for having lost their miracle, for having failed. For not being strong enough. 

She should have fought back. She should have grappled. She's Black Widow for God's sake, not a normal person, let alone a normal soldier. No. She's a killing machine, without emotion or compassion. She's cold, calculating, manipulative. She plays thousands of games at the same time without anyone noticing what she is doing. She laughs at jokes so she internally calculates her knife throw. She is fatal, irresistible, irreversible. She is the moon. Dark and mysterious. Evolving in the shadows, preferring dark to light. The one responsible for three dozen known murders and even more disappearances. The one who pulls the trigger without hesitation, who dances with her daggers a deadly ballet, who thinks at full speed, who anticipates. The one who should never have been trapped so easily, who should have seen the danger coming, a long chill going down her spine, pushing her adrenaline to the maximum. 

In short, she is anything but weak. She is everything but the woman she imagines lying on the bed, a complete disaster. She is not supposed to be the woman crying with hot tears while her sticky sweaty hair falls ungainly on her forehead and cheek. She is not supposed to be the little body trembling on the mattress, unable to resist the pressure, the sadness, the absolute emptiness that settles in her. She is not supposed to feel all her emotions through her eyes like ghosts, allowing anyone watching her to read her like in an open book. And neither is she supposed to be the one begging for her greeting, praying at every moment for death to come and get her, so that it stops. 

And yet, Natasha knows. She knows that at this very moment, that's exactly who she is. And yet, she couldn't care less than she does now. For the first time in her life, she says shit to the Red Room, to torture, to training, to dance sessions, to sermons on hiding her emotions, to assassinations, to orders, to S.H.I.E.L.D, to what she is supposed to be and to the world. She knows that at this very moment she wants reassuring arms around her, a shoulder to cry on, soft kisses in her hair, the warmth of a body against her, muscles forming a shield between her and this world that throws her so much, lips - Steve's lips - on hers, his tongue playing with hers, his caresses along her back, her hips, her ribs. Steve whispering comfort and tenderness to her. Steve who swears to her that nothing more can happen to her, that he will take care of her for eternity. Steve who arrives by destroying the wall, because nothing and no one can get between her and him. She doesn't care what the Avengers might think if they saw her. Doesn't care that the whole world sees her as weak and desperate. Doesn't care if Thanos comes to torture her again. 

All that matters to Natasha now is death. The only way she thinks of, the only way she sees the end of her suffering. She does not dare to move, the pain running through her body clearly indicating that any attempt at movement will result in cries of pain and ever more bruises. She stays there, not even daring to put the blankets up on her frozen body, fingers and cold blue lips. 

Although she is Russian, Natasha has always hated to be cold. Even if she loves this country (especially the streets of St. Petersburg in winter, where the air is filled with the smell of hot wine and chestnuts), she has always unconsciously associated it with the Red Room and bad memories. The twenty-five kilometers of running in the snow, where a single stumble resulted in a week without food. The killings, the murders, the families torn apart by her fault. All that red that she has on her hands and is desperately trying to make disappear since Clint showed her another pace to follow. And even if she tries to do her best, she can't help but see blood flowing from her palms every time she looks at them. 

At first, she was suspicious of everything and everyone, even Clint. He may have chosen to spare her, but she still had very limited trust. Then slowly, through missions and then with the Avengers, she opened up. She has found friends, a suitable job, a family.

And then again, this ephemeral happiness was taken away from her, reminding her that she would never have anything happy in life. She watched helplessly as her new family ripped each other apart, with her in between. She watched Wanda, her precious little sister, lose her zest for life and her gaze becoming empty after Lagos. She watched Tony get bogged down in his own madness, and was unable to stop him. Worse still, she took him further by rallying to his cause. She watched herself fight Clint for the first time since Budapest, kicking her best friend, the only one who believed in her at a time when neither she nor anyone else believed in her anymore. She watched Wanda and Vision oppose each other, she watched them and she saw herself with Steve, two beating hearts also opposing each other. She knew then that she could never go through with it, that she could not stop him. Not because she was not strong enough, but because she had finally allowed herself to feel what her head was screaming at her to ignore. 

Being on the run with Steve, Wanda, Sam and Bucky had given her back a certain balance. Although forced to hide and use her hiding places to avoid death, Natasha had cherished the ephemeral but real moments of happiness that had been offered to them. Wanda's laughter when she watched Bucky eat carbonara spaghetti, the sauce covering the face of the winter soldier up to the nose, her first real laugh since Pietro's death. The tranquility of a winter evening by the fire in a lost mountain in Austria, a hot chocolate in her hands with Wanda's sleepy head on her lap and Steve next to her hugging her. Sam's terrified expression when they tried to skate on a frozen lake in Sweden, triggering a general laughter that had even contaminated the falcon. All those moments huddled inside her. In the depths of her heart. And she sees them, living before her eyes. 

And even if she was terrified at first, her pregnancy was the spark, the flash of light in her soul that finished giving her hope, imbuing in her mind the idea that maybe she was worth it, that maybe the universe was not totally against her, that maybe her crimes could one day be forgiven, maybe she too would be entitled to happiness. 

But no. Once again, Natasha blames herself for being so naive, for believing in it in the depths of her heart. Because maybe right now she wouldn't be like this, a complete disaster. Maybe she wouldn't cry. She would have endured the pain, and returned to her occupations as if nothing had happened. As she already did at the time of the Red Room, once when they particularly damaged her. She then got up and went back to training right away. A perfect soldier.

Death, then. And waiting. Natasha knows Death will come slowly, taking her time. Because a quick death would be unfair. She still has to pay for what she has done, for what she has been. Death will therefore come slowly, making sure to see her suffer at every step that brings her closer to the young woman. For a short while, Natasha would almost be angry, wishing to stand up and run towards death with open arms, like welcoming an old friend you haven't seen in a long time but who you've deeply missed. Yes. She hates death for making her languish, for making herself desired, insulting her inwardly for messing with her. 

This is not the first time Natasha has escaped death. More than once, she had really believed that it was over and had accepted her fate quietly. She didn't want to die more than that, but she was so indifferent to her own life that the prospect of dying didn't bring more emotions than going out for a coffee or a drink. However, each time, death slipped between her fingers and escaped, thanks to (or because of?) the intervention of people who believed that Natasha's life was worth more credit than she gave it. Clint in Budapest. Steve in New York. Even Tony, who had warned her that she had been granted wanted status. Although he did it wrong, she felt his affection under the mask and it touched her deeply. 

So yes, Natasha is angry about death. But that doesn't stop her from waiting for her firmly with the inner promise of helping her to make them join as soon as she has the opportunity.

***

"Wanda! WANDA! »

When the young witch comes to, the first thing she hears is her name, shouted several times. Everything is blurry. Her mind is like stuck in cotton. However, what she feels very well is the pain. The pain that tears her chest in half and all the muscles of her body. She tries to breathe, but immediately starts coughing, trying to spit out the dust and smoke that are filing the air. 

Everything went very fast. She had barely had time to fall to her knees when her power was already unleashed through the floor, blowing all the windows, destroying every single object, reducing to dust everything that could be in its way. Steve and Clint, who had rushed upstairs when they heard the witch scream, found themselves propelled backwards with incredible violence, their heads hitting the ground with enough force to knock them out for a few minutes.

When Steve opened his eyes, he found a room completely devastated by dust and soot. Despite the obvious difficulty in distinguishing anything, Steve quickly spotted Wanda's body through the rubble. Thanking his eyesight enhanced by the super serum, Steve rushed to the unconscious body, pulling it out of the debris and taking it to a safe floor, Clint on his heels. Thank God, the young woman, in her despair, had avoided destroying the walls, allowing the building to remain standing despite everything. It would take several weeks of work, no doubt about it, but nothing that a good paint job and a couple of furniture repurchases could not erase. 

Leaving Wanda delicately on the sofa on the common floor, Steve could already see the fine drops of sweat beading on the forehead of the sleeping witch and her weak and jerky breathing. Unable to bear it any longer, Steve grabbed her by the shoulders to gently shake her up and hopefully regain consciousness by shouting her name. 

Steve drops her when he sees her coughing, his eyes widening at the sight of blood flowing in a fine net along her mouth. She falls backwards, her body too weak to support her own weight. 

« Natasha... Nat... Nat... The b-baby… » he hears her whisper weakly. 

« Wanda, calm down. You're at HQ, everything's fine, you're safe, » Steve whispers gently, trying to calm the young woman down a little. 

As soon as she recognizes his voice, Wanda grabs Steve's arm with a force that contrasts sharply with her current condition. 

« Natasha- the baby- Steve, I think… » she says with difficulty, her voice jerky, « I think... she lost the baby... I- Steve, I'm in so much pain, why it hurts so much », the young witch asks, while tears run down her cheeks. 

Suddenly, everything becomes distant. The world fades away and nothing matters anymore. Steve feels his chest tearing in half, his soul being swallowed up by darkness as he stands there, kneeling on the ground, his body shaking. Natasha lost the baby, his baby. His baby has just been snatched from him by Thanos, by this monster who says he wants to save the universe but for whom the life of a small being as pure as an angel does not count more than a common piece of shit. He feels a huge anger rising inside him, unveiling a red veil before his eyes. He thinks of Natasha, his Natasha, still trapped with that monster. Tears run down her cheeks on their own, his bright eyes bringing out the blue of his irises even more deeply. If this is true, if Wanda is right, then nothing and no one can stop him from hitting Thanos in the face until he is nothing more than a shapeless pile of blood on the ground. Nothing and no one will be able to prevent him from joining his beloved. Another cry from Wanda takes him out of his thoughts. She is as pale as death, and more and more sweat is dripping from her forehead. 

« We have to take her to the medical wing, Steve » Clint says calmly, but urgently. 

Steve nods, aware that if the man next to him has heard Wanda's words, he is also worried about the health of the young woman lying down. Feeling that Steve is too disturbed to really get out of his trance, Clint lifts Wanda again, earning a few more screams from young woman. She cannot help crying, shaking uncontrollably in the agent's arms. 

« Hurts... So much… » she murmurs weakly, losing consciousness again. 

Clint runs through the corridors, not stopping, not even to check if Steve followed him. As soon as he walks through the doors of the medical wing, doctors take care of Wanda, J.A.R.V.I.S having warned them in advance. Anxious, Clint settles behind the window of the operation room, not leaving the young woman with his eyes. He has already half lost his best friend, there is no way he loses someone else, especially a young woman with her whole life ahead of her to blossom and grow.

A discreet movement at his side indicates that the rest of the team has joined him, standing up straight and tense. 

« How is she…? » Tony asks, his voice barely audible although no other noise fills the room. 

Clint doesn't know what to say other than a shoulder shrug, an answer that seems to suit Tony, who doesn't add anything more. 

« Natasha lost the baby. Wanda felt it and screamed in echo. She lost control, like when Pietro… » 

Tony nods his head, understanding. Silence is even more oppressive. 

« Pietro should be here soon. He had gone to Chicago to buy something for his sister. I warned him, he will be here in fifteen minutes at most » the billionaire adds, wishing to fill the silence more than to make the conversation. 

Clint lets a sigh escape. He can't even remember the last time they were given a real period of calm. 

« Steve…? » Tony lets it escape silently. 

Clint turns around and finds himself face-to-face with a more than angry Captain America. Steve's eyes are red and swollen, his irises empty. He's as pale as Wanda. 

« I am going to get her » 

This is neither a question nor an order. His firm voice does not reveal any of the emotions that can be read on his closed face. That is a fact. A stipulation. Nearly a warning. Whatever happens, Steve will be gone in a short while, no matter who follows him or not. The look that Clint perceives - this look - he has only seen it once in his life, with Natasha. A look that screams determination, shouts revenge, expresses anger and radiates sadness. At the time, he hadn't followed her, and almost lost her. There's no way he is doing this again. So gently, he puts one hand on Steve's shoulder and whispers « yes ». Slowly, but firmly.

***

« She categorically refuses to cut the link » Pietro announces to the group, nervously passing a hand through his blond hair, his face torn with worry as he joins them in the break room after talking to his sister.

Tony clicks his tongue in frustration and Clint punches the wall. 

« It's going to kill her, damn it, Pietro! » Clint almost screams, while the young Sokovian paces. 

« Thank you I hadn't noticed, » replies the latter, making no effort to mask the irony in his voice.   
« But as long as she doesn't decide to cut it off, there's nothing we can do and God knows how stubborn my sister is when she wants to be. She keeps repeating: ‘As long as I'm suffering, she's alive, when I'm not suffering anymore, then we'll have lost’ » 

Clint doesn't say anything. He approaches the window and silently watches the young woman lying on the bed, connected to more machines than should be allowed. He observes her, observes the unique bond that binds her to his best friend and his heart can only tighten more. If Wanda is in this state, for Natasha it must be even worse, and it's unbearable. Clint stares at the witch's chest rising weakly, fearing at every moment that a scream from her would tell them the worst. His heart is still tightened when he hears her moan, Pietro rushing by her side, taking her hand to try to calm her down, to reason with her and Clint cannot help but notice that Wanda's hand does not shake her brother's hand in return, too weak. They're losing her. And if they don't find Natasha soon, he will have lost two of the most precious things in his life. Because despite everything, perhaps it is his father's instinct that spoke, he could not help but develop affection for the Sokovian girl, taking her under his wing with Natasha, to make her feel a little bit of the warmth that a family provides. They even took her to see the children and Laura. She earned the nickname of Auntie Wanda, to her great delight. Nataniel was more than happy to babble in her arms for hours, and even Cooper, more introverted, gave her a hug, in short, but a hug anyway. The only other person he does this to is Natasha, and Clint couldn't be prouder of it than he is. That's why he can't lose them, not them. 

« Three days » he announces firmly. 

All eyes are on him. Although his eyes don't leave Wanda, he knows. 

« We give ourselves three days to get everyone together, make the final changes and updates and then we go kick that bastard's ass. We're going to get our Black Widow back and bring her back home, saving Wanda at the same time. There's no way we're losing them, not on my watch, » He adds. 

Eyes are exchanged, filling up with a growing determination and anger. Steve approaches and puts his hand on Clint's shoulder. One by one, the Avengers present gathered around them, their faces turned towards the twins. Pietro stands up behind the window and turns towards them. It is high time to get started.


	10. Chapter X

In two days, the quiet Avengers compound has turned into a kind of little war zone. People running everywhere, getting ready for the upcoming battle, while the Avengers gather everything they need to rescue one of theirs. Steve has been more active than never. He hasn’t slept in three days, and yet doesn’t feel tired at all. The rush of adrenaline in his veins is such that he can nearly feel his blood boiling. One person occupies his mind night and day, a solid reminder of his objective. The rest of the Avengers haven’t slept much either. Tony has been busy upgrading his suit, something about adding nano photon blasts on his back. Bruce is currently working on a huge version of Veronica for himself and Scott, Hope, Janet and Hank are finishing their new bulletproof suit. Everything is going well, but the tension is slowly growing and everyone can feel it. Wanda’s situation hasn’t improved a bit, in the bad sense as well as in the good. She is still so weak that she has barely the energy to eat. Pietro doesn’t leave her side, except to check on Steve from time to time and shower. And if Steve’s heart aches at her sight, he is also very grateful for her to support this for them. She still refuses to cut the link with Nat, meaning she is still a faithful indicator of Natasha’s status. She is still alive and that’s all that matters to Steve.   
Standing in Tony’s lab, he watches below through the bay window. Dozens of people are rushing in front of him but he barely sees them. All he sees is Natasha and Thanos. He has never been the murderous type, but for the first time, he can picture himself killing Thanos and be glad to do so. He would love to see the giant bastard die in his arms, by his hands. Seeing the light leaving his eyes and laugh about it, knowing it would be the last thing Thanos would ever hear. As he lets out a small sinister laugh, Tony and Bruce lift their heads and exchange a concerned look. They are aware that Steve would never intentionally do bad things, but the exceptional circumstances they are currently in might bring an exception to this rule. Nodding his head, Tony lets his work on the side before taking a few steps toward their Captain. 

« Steve, » he tries hesitantly. 

When Steve doesn’t answer, Tony closes the gap between them and places a hand on his shoulder. 

« Steve, » he repeats louder.

Finally breaking his train of thoughts, Steve looks at him and Tony nearly steps back at the fire and rage burning in the ocean eyes. They stare at each other for a good ten seconds, before Tony speaks again. 

« We are nearly done, Steve. Hold on one more day and we get her back. »

Steve nods, before returning to staring at the ground. 

« Steve, please, » Tony insists « Tell us. We aren’t blind, you know. » 

« It’s nothing it’s just, » Steve starts « Have you ever consider murdering someone voluntarily? » he asks, biting his lip. 

« Honestly? Yes, » Tony shrugs « and for even less than this. We know you Steve and you know us. You aren’t suddenly a bad guy because you want to murder him. He IS bad and I wouldn’t mind piercing his heart either. It doesn’t make you bad, just human. Cause if you are a bad guy, I think it’s pretty safe to say that anybody is. Steve, we all want to kill him, so if you have a way tomorrow, don’t hesitate. »

Steve laughs weakly and shakes his head. 

« Thanks, Tony, » he says sincerely « I… needed that? »

« I happen to be a good friend Rogers you know? » Tony smirks, « It’s not often but it happens. »

« I know I know Tony but really, thank you »

« Don’t thank me for this. That’s what family is made for right? Just try to get some sleep. We better be in the best shape to get our spider back. Don’t tell her but she is kinda the glue that makes us stick together. But please don’t tell her. Her ego is already bigger than mine. » 

This time, a real, true laugh leaves Steve’s throat and Tony can’t help but do a little victory sign toward Bruce, who grins in return. His mission accomplished, Tone goes back to work on his suit, just to be joined by a renewed and still laughing Steve Rogers five minutes later.

***

Natasha stares at the ceiling like she has been doing the hour before, and the hour before that and the hour even before. She stares at it but doesn’t quite see it. No, she is way too lost in the deep corridors of her mind, between sorrow, guilt, and anger. All she sees is Thanos and how she can murder him. All she feels is the pain remaining in her stomach and the void in her chest. It feels like her soul has been ripped from her body. She has no tears left to cry, no energy left to move. She is waiting. She doesn’t even know what. Death? A miracle? Something. Anything that would just stop everything. Unconsciously, she probably hopes to wake up from her nightmare and realize she is safe back in Steve’s arms. 

Doctors have started to experiment on her body again but she barely feels it. She hasn’t slept nor screamed nor cried. If it wasn’t for her slowly rising chest, people would have probably presumed she was dead. Whatever they were looking for, they must have found it because two hours ago, one of the men ran out screaming as if he had just received the biggest gift of his life. Since then, nobody has even come into the room, not that she cares anyway. Her toes already feel cold, her mind is foggy and her vision blurry. She doesn’t even acknowledge Thanos entering the room. She has never been farther from being Black Widow than she is now.  
  
« I know what you feel my child » a voice makes its way through the clouds around her brain. 

« You could never… » she hears herself responding, her voice raspy. 

« I can. I know this. » 

She doesn’t argue back. It’s not worth it. Nothing is anymore. 

« A long time ago, I adopted and raised two young girls, I saved them from starvation on their home planet. »

For having looked at his file, Natasha knows that he probably killed half to the population on both planets, leaving the two poor children orphans, and took them against their will. Despite all she is feeling, she can’t help but feel tears rushing back in her eyes and wonders how many more lives Thanos ruined in his murderous state. 

« I raised them and trained them as my owns. It was a long process, but I made them the fiercest women in the galaxy, my deadly weapons. Alas, destiny is a cruel thing. To retrieve the soul stone, a sacrifice must be made. You have to lose what you love. I lost Gamora that day. I still feel the pain in my chest. »

« You, » Natasha all but whispers « you sacrificed your daughter just for that… that fucking stone? Just to get it? What kind of monster are you? » 

« I am not asking you to understand. I have been assigned with a glorious purpose, and I will achieve it, no matter the cost. The Avengers represent my last wall to break, so break them I will. Without a leader, how can they win? It’ll break Steve Rogers, and each one of them, one by one until nothing stands between me and my dream. »

« You’re,» Natasha says, coughing « you’re a psychopath! »

« Perhaps. But are you better? Are any of you better? A trained assassin, a man whose ego is bigger than the universe, a witch who helped Ultron, same for her brother, and let’s not even talk about the Winter Soldier… »

Natasha gasps in shock. She didn’t expect him to be so well-informed about them. But yet, she shouldn’t be so surprised. With all the stones, he certainly must know more about themselves than them. 

« My child, you’re not the only one cursed with knowledge. Do you think I would come unprepared? Once your dear captain gives me what I want, my army will bring you all down. Nothing will stop us, not you, not him, not the Avengers. You will watch your world crumble. »

Natasha is tempted to laughs ironically, but what would be the point? If only he knew how careless she is right now, how nothing matters. He could raise his army here and now and she wouldn’t even move a muscle. Or she would move to run toward them and let it be over as soon as possible. So she doesn’t say anything and lets him rambling for what feels like hours, her mind back away in her thoughts. 

***

_It’s not real. Surely another mind trick. She knows it’s not so why does her heart beat so hard against her ribcage? She stares in awe at the scene unfolding in front of her eyes. It’s so close, so nearly real and yet so far that it scares her to death. _

_She is outside a small but cozy house, localized in a quiet neighborhood. She watches as her 8-year-old daughter runs in their garden, laughing as a golden dog catches the ball she just threw. Well, to be honest, she isn’t sure that the girl is indeed her daughter. But there is this feeling inside her. She just knows. Natasha immediately thinks she is beautiful. Her short red hair matches Natasha’s actual hair cut but her eyes are a deep ocean-blue like Steve’s. Natasha lets out a loud sob and immediately covers her mouth with her hand, as if she feared someone could hear her. _

_« Natalia! It’s time to eat my dear! »_

_Here he is. The man that makes her heart beat faster. The one that changed everything. Made her believe that love was made for her too. _

_« Oh Dad please! Just five more minutes! Oliver still wants to play! »_

_« No little spider, food’s gonna be cold »_

_« Fine… » _

_Natasha watches as Natalia gets inside the house. After recovering her motor skills, she follows as quietly as possible. Steve and Natalia are sitting at the table, eating what looks like to be Steve’s famous omelette and some salad. Unlike five minutes ago, Natalia looks closed in on herself. Maybe a little too much Natasha-like, but it makes Natasha’s heart jumping. She sniffles slowly, knowing that some part of her still lives somewhere. She is not stupid. She has understood why she hasn’t appeared on the scene. She knows why only two plates are set on the table. An idiot would have understood this. _

_« Dad… » Natalia’s voice is barely louder than a whisper. _

_Steve looks at her like he already knows what she is going to ask. _

_« Yes, malyska? »_

_Natasha’s heart breaks a little more, hearing Steve’s nickname for their daughter. Russian. Like she told him many years ago. He must have taught Natalia. _

_« Can you… Can you tell me about mommy again? »_

_Even if he expected the question, Natasha sees the way Steve’s shoulders tense slightly. _

_« What do you want to know, little spider? » _

_« How did you two meet again? I love that story. Please tell me again? » _

_Steve stands up and picks Natalia up in his arms before settling the two of them on the couch. _

_« You remember how I told you about the Avengers? »_

_« Yes, Uncle Clint and Aunt Wanda were part of it too. »_

_« Exactly. Well, at first it was uncle Fury who recruited me. He needed me to fight some bad guys. »_

_« Loki, Uncle Thor’s brother. »_

_« Yes. He stole something precious and we needed to get it back. To do that, uncle Fury invited us in his big ship. Your mother was there when I arrived. She showed me everything around. She looked so beautiful, even in a simple leather jacket. »_

_« Was she that pretty? » Natalia asks. _

_« Oh malyska, she was beautiful. She was exactly like you. You have everything she had, and I am more than proud that you look alike her so much. She would be so proud of you, like I am proud of you too. You have her grace and beauty, her courage and her temper. She too had a huge heart. And remember what I told you. She is always looking at us, among the stars. »_

_« She is the brightest one! » Natalia screams. _

_Steve laughs. « Sure she is. She was the best in everything, I am sure death isn’t an exception. »_

_Natalia hugs him tight. Steve wraps her arms around her and lies back down. It doesn’t even take five minutes for them to fall in a deep sleep. Natasha moves to sit in front of them on the ground. She tends her hand and brushes her finger against Natalia’s cheek. And if her heart wasn’t already broken, it surely is now. _

***

Steve looks at his team as they board in the jets. Everything is finally ready, and thus they don’t waste another minute, rushing all their equipment inside to take off as soon as possible. Several teams will several missions, all focused and ready. Steve, Thor, Clint, Bruce and Tony are going to free Natasha. That is the number one priority. The guardians as well as T’challa and the Dora Milaje will fight the minions. Janet and Hank are still working on a chemical product to bring down all Thanos army at once. And so on. Turning the device on, he settles his earpiece in his ear. Everyone wears one, courtesy of Tony Stark. Said man is in the driver seat, coordinating the operation. He even programmed the jets to receive all commands from this one. One button pushed and all coordinates change in every single jet.

« All jets get ready. Five minutes until take off » Tony announces through the earpieces. 

« Remember, Thanos has already four stones. Our top priority is to take them back if we want to bring him down. Fury’s backup is apparently on its way and whoever that is, we can’t wait anymore, he or she will have the join us on the spot. Today, it’s not JUST about getting Natasha back. It’s also about saving the world. Thanos is threatening our world and we have to defend it. With your help, we can win. We are the Avengers. If we don’t defend what’s worth, who will? We NEED to win. Whatever it takes. » 

Once his speech is over, Steve lets out a huge sigh. Then he turns over, looks at Tony, who is already looking back at him. 

« Let’s go. »

And with a simple nod, Tony turns the engine on.


	11. Chapter XI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talks, memories and tension

When Natasha regains consciousness, it feels like years have passed. Judging by the appearance of her skin and texture, Thanos has still found a way to keep her alive. She's thin, weak, but hydrated although her throat burns. She's lying on a bed, a real one for once. Maybe they've realized that her survival depends on a few vital things now. However, the minimal increase in comfort does nothing to fill the gaping hole that remains anchored in her chest. The absence of blood on her clothes confirms her suspicions that someone must have taken care of her while she was unconscious. Suddenly, she gasps. The blanket. The blanket that she gently wrapped her baby in, where is it? A glance, she checks around, but nothing. No blanket. No baby. All the accumulated fatigue suddenly slams in her face and big tears roll down her cheeks. They took her baby away, the only thing she was still clinging to. Her little miracle, her reason to be alive. A sudden rage seizes her and she grabs the needle stuck in her arm to tear it out. 

« I wouldn't do that if I were you. »

Natasha freezes. Thanos is there, sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. 

« That needle is the only thing that's keeping you alive »

« I've got nothing left to lose. Why would I want to stay alive? » 

« I know how you feel, my child. »

« You'll never be able to feel what I feel, » she replies, full of hatred.

Thanos sighs. He turns to her, coming out of the darkness. 

« Titan was like most planets. Too many mouths, not enough to go around. And when we faced extinction, I offered a solution. » 

« Let me guess. Genocide? » 

« But at random, dispassionate, fair to rich and poor alike. They called me a madman, and what I predicted came to pass. » 

« Congratulations. You're a prophet. » 

« I'm a survivor. »   
  
« Who wants to murder trillions. » 

« With all six stones, I could simply snap my fingers. They would all cease to exist. I call that... mercy. » 

« And then what? » 

« I finally rest. And watch the sun rise on a grateful universe. The hardest choices require the strongest wills. » 

« I think you'll find our will equal to yours. » 

« Our? » 

« I am certainly not alone out there. You’ll find that Earth people are pretty stubborn and that they desperately want to live. That’s a dangerous combination. » 

« Are you talking about the Avengers? Your ‘heroes’ are divided, a mess, unable to put aside their differences to work together. I know all of them, none can resist me, not when I’ll have what I need. »

« You’re underestimating them. Loki did the same and we won. He will never give you what you need, I trust them. »

« I have the thing that matters the most for him. I know your weaknesses, they don’t differ from the one I have seen across the universe. He might be a good man, but even a good man has a breaking point. I found his, I am just waiting for the good moment to use it. »

« So what? All that torture was for nothing? »

« For nothing? Oh no. Not for nothing. Look what we’ve done to you. Everything he fears in front of him. Break him will be as easy as breaking a wooden stick. »

Natasha can’t help but laugh sarcastically.

« You think it is going to break him? You don’t know him at all. If anything, he is the one who is going to break you in half for what you did. »

« It looks like we have a different opinion on this- »

« Sir! » an alien soldier suddenly interrupts them.

Thanos stands, turning his back to Natasha. 

« What is it? »

« Something is coming toward us, something huge! »

« Something? »

« Our radar can not be precise, something is alternating them. All we know is that a massive heated mass is coming right at us »  
« Go and prepare our troops. I’ll be right there. »

Without another word, the soldier leaves running. For a few seconds, Thanos stays still. Natasha even starts wondering if he is alive. Then slowly he turns to face her again. 

« Our little talk made me realize something. » He looks at her « If their will is as strong as you say it is, I know what to do with your little planet. »

Approaching her slowly, he leans forward and stops a few centimeters from her face. 

« I am gonna kill everything and let your little planet burn to ashes. I am gonna break everyone coming in my way… and I am going to start with you. »

And without further ceremony, in a single movement, he breaks her leg with a terrifying crack. 

***

Aboard the quinjet, not a single sound penetrates the silence. Clint drives while Tony protects them in the air with his armor. Below them, on the ground, the forces they have managed to gather are advancing in unison with them. Quill’s jet is flying next to them with the Guardians and they know Strange is ready to open portals for the rest of them if needed. 

Alone in the back, Steve stares intensely at the ground. Everything that happened so far keeps replaying in his mind, flashbacks, and loud thoughts never leaving him alone. 

_« It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trending cards yet? »_

_« Trending cards? »_

_« There are vintage. He is very proud. »_

Their first meeting. The very first day he laid his eyes on her. She was already breathtaking. 

_« You do anything fun Saturday night? »_

_« Well, all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead, so… No, not really. »_

_« You know, if you ask Kristen out, from Statistics, she’ll probably say yes. »_

_« That’s why I don’t ask. »_

_« Too shy or too scared? »_

_« Too busy! » _

At first, it was true he couldn’t understand why she tried so hard to make him go out with some girls. Of course, He couldn’t tell her the only girl he would say yes to was her. 

_« We need to take him. » Maria had said softly._

_Sighing, Steve walked to the redhead. _

_« Natasha. »_

_No response. She turned around and left. He immediately followed her_

_« Natasha! »_

_Turning around to face him, she looked at him in the eyes and asked. _

_« Why was Fury in your apartment? »_

_He was about to tell her the truth, but as his mouth opened, he remembered Fury’s words and a sudden doubt took him over. Was she really trustable? His heart screamed yes but a small part of his head kept him uncertain. _

_« I don’t know. »_

_She stares in the eyes and Steve felt like she read his soul. Damn beautiful green eyes._

_« You’re a terrible liar. »_

_She walked off. Steve let her. _

He was so stupid. He let her. She left and he let her. He wanted so bad to run after her but his duty was stronger. 

_« Where is it? »_

_« Safe »_

_« Do better! »_

_« Where did you get it? »_

_« Why would I tell you? »_

_« Fury gave it to you. Why? »_

_« What’s on it? »_

_« I don’t know. »_

_« Stop lying! »_

_« I only act like I know everything, Rogers »_

_« I bet you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn’t you? »_

_« Well, it makes sense. The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in, so do you. »_

_« I am not going to ask you again »_

He still regrets to this day the way he treated her. She was only trying to help her, and his frustration got the best of him. She told him it was nothing, but sometimes he knows he should have been better.

_« Yeah. Who do you want me to be? »_

_« How about a friend? »_

_« Well, there’s a chance you might be in the wrong business, Rogers. »_

And it was so true. But the closer Natasha was to him, the more she was in danger.

_When the bomb went off, he was so afraid. Afraid to lose her. She was unconscious and bleeding. Thank God, he knew exactly where to go and she woke up in the car. _

_« You okay? »_

_« Yeah. »_

_« What’s going on? »_

_« When I first joined SHIELD, I thought it was going straight. But I guess I just traded in the KGB for HYDRA. I thought I knew whose lies I was telling, but I guess I can’t tell the difference anymore. »_

_« There is a chance you might be in the wrong business »_

_She chuckled and his heart made a jump at the sound. _

_« I owe you »_

_« It’s okay »_

_« If it was the other way around, and it was down to me to save your life, and you be honest with me, would you trust me to do it? »_

_« I would now. And I am always honest. »_

Who was he kidding? He had always trusted her, but she was right. He was too afraid of love to admit it. 

_« That thing you asked for, I called in a few favors from Kiev. Will you do me a favor? Call that nurse. »_

_« She is not a nurse. » She is not you. _

_« And you’re not a SHIELD agent. »_

_« What was her name again? »_

_« Sharon. She is nice. »_

_She kissed him on the cheek and turned to walk away. _

_« Be careful, Steve. You might not want to pull on that thread. »_

_And she was gone again. _

Idiot. That’s how he felt at that time. Unable to share his feelings, unable to keep her close. She needed to rebuild herself, they both knew it and Steve wonders if he could have helped her. Probably not. She had worked all her life on her own and rebuild her covers wouldn’t be any different. Yet, he still wonders. What if he hadn’t let her go? It was a question that would be forever unanswered. 

Everything had gone so fast after this. Ultron, The Maximoffs, Lagos, the fights with Tony, the raft. Everything was so blurry, so intense. Looking at Nat facing him in the airport had broken his heart. When she let them go, he wanted so badly to hug her, tell her it would be okay, kiss her with everything he had within himself. But he couldn’t, so he ran. When their eyes met for the last time, he saw nothing but determination. That’s when he knew she had never failed him. 

However, what he didn't foresee was the state she was in when she found them, more exactly when they bumped into each other. Yes, she was in a bad state, but confession, the love they exchanged made it all so worth it. And then he had to lose her again. He is scared. Scared of the shape he will find her in. Scared to find nothing but her dead body. 

« Cap » Clint interrupts his train of thoughts. « we are almost there. »

Coming to the front, he looks down at Thanos’ basement. 

« Tony? »

« Yes, Cap? »

« Engage. »

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey long time no see!   
I am really sorry but quarantine and my studies got the best of me and i haven't been able to write a single line for 6 months >.<   
Thanks God holidays are here so expect more upcoming updates!   
Until next time <3


	12. Chapter XII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers are storming the fortress of Thanos. The fight begins and i am still a noob at summaries.

_« Tony? »_

_« Yes, Cap? »_

_« Engage. »_

From the moment Steve gave the order, everything became chaos. The iron legion attacked from the sky, bombarding the shield protecting the compound while Steve gave orders from the jet. Strange created various portals to get them all inside and Hope infiltrated the base with Scott to get to the control room and localize Natasha. 

« That thing is pure energy! » Tony screams suddenly in Steve’s ear, « I can’t get into it! »

« Have you tried everything? » Steve asks him.

« Well, not nuclear energy but- »

« Tony, we are not blasting our allies with a nuclear bomb! »

« Chill Cap I was joking. But seriously, I can’t get through. »  
« Doesn’t it remind you of something? » Clint intervenes.

« Yeah, of course, New-York, the portal. Do you think it is made with the space stone?? »

« I do. »

A sudden silence envelops the three men. 

_« The barrier is pure energy. It's unbreathable. We will lose power before you cut through that shell. »_

_[…]_

_« The tesseract can’t fight, you can’t protect against yourself! »_

_« Loki’s scepter… » _

« AGAINST YOURSELF! THAT’S IT! » The three scream, making Wanda, Vision and nearly everyone connected jump.

« In 2012, Natasha attacked the tesseract with Loki’s scepter… » Clint starts.

« And inside Loki’s specter was Vision’s stone… » Steve goes on.

« Thus, vision should be able to break down the barrier!! » Tony concludes.

« It is worth a try » Wanda agrees. 

Nodding, Vision goes to the back of the jet where Clint opens the hold. Stepping outside, he flies above the barrier and, concentrating his energy, attacks it with the stone. 

At first, nothing happens and Steve’s heart slightly breaks in fear. Is he even going to get his love back? Then, a breach appears, then two and like dominos, the blue dome finally gives up and falls under their eyes, falling in small pieces, burning to ash. With a triumphant smile, Clint lands the jet and they all rush out. 

« Vision, you stay up there and help Tony. Clint, you go through the vents, I want to know everything you see. Wanda, you come with me. You have a special link to Natasha, I think it can help us localize her. »

« And me? » a flash of blue lightning appears. 

« Pietro! » Wanda screams, throwing herself in her brother’s arms. 

« Are you up for some fighting, Quicksilver? »

« You bet I am, Cap »

« Destroy them »

An evil smirk flashes upon Pietro’s face and in a blur, he is gone again while loud screams can be heard. 

« Woah, he is really fast. » Tony observes. 

« No time to waist, let’s go! » 

They all nod before moving quickly. Time to get to Natasha.

***

With her eyes half-open, Natasha is vaguely aware of the surrounding noise and bustle. Since Thanos broke her leg, it has only been a succession of consciousness and unconsciousness. Her heart is throbbing and she can feel that her exhausted body has reached its limit. She is shaking and shivering, something not helping her leg at all, and she is covered with sweat. Even what they give her through the IVs doesn’t seem to work. She is dying. And she knows it. 

« They are here. Your friends. »

Glancing on her left, she spots Thanos but doesn’t manage to turn her head. 

« They… are… gonna… smash you… » she murmurs through gritted teeth. 

« I have a huge army and you. I got the stones. How could I lose? »

« You … lack… conviction » she laughs weakly, mirroring Coulson’s words from many years ago.

« Care to explain? »

« Life… is often… stronger than death… Our will to live… will be your doom… cause you’re seeking death »

« Right now, death is only coming for you. »

And with that single sentence, he leaves, letting Natasha alone as she loses consciousness once again. 

***

_I always knew I was going to die alone, that it would be my faith. The Red room taught us well: there’s no place for such foolish things as feelings or friendships. That is what I believed for a long time. Killing and killing every day, more and more red in my ledger. I was in a dark alley, with no exits, except for death and violence. Until a hand pulled me out. And for a moment I thought I had everything. Finally, somewhere I belonged, a family I loved, who accepted me even with my past. In their arms, I found a place to return, a reason to live one more day. As broken and weird our family was, I needed that to survive. I was so tired before meeting Clint. The Avengers were my salvation. We went through so much. We gained members, lost some too. We grieved together, laughed together, cried together, fought together. Sometimes, in the dark of my room, I wondered if I was really worthy of this happiness. I had done such terrible things, how could I be happy when so many were sad because of me? But as soon as I saw a smile on Wanda’s face because I helped her choosing an outfit, or when I looked at Sam chasing Bucky through the living room, all doubts disappeared. I thought we were unbreakable. Oh god, how wrong I was. I lost everything, fast and hard. The war split us in half, friends fighting each other. I had to watch them hitting each other, I had to watch Wanda fight her love, and I had to face mine too. His look at me at that time still burns my soul. I had to watch James lose his legs, I had to watch Tony cry. He asked me how I was. I said I was okay of course. I am the Black Widow, I don’t do feelings. Or at least, I don’t show feelings. Tony acted cold after the war, but he can’t fool me. He warned me about my faith if I stayed, even if he disguised it as a threat. He is the smartest after all. During the run, at first, I felt lost. And it was really not a comfortable feeling. I had been doing that all my life, why was this time so different? I knew I had to rebuild myself, create new covers, it wasn’t the first time. It was the first time, however, where it felt wrong. Something was missing or more accurately, someone. I didn’t really mind doing it again but this time I wanted to do it with him. And this realization hit harder than Thor’s hammer against his shield. I couldn’t stop thinking about him and Sharon, probably texting yeah other as I was freezing to death in an old cabin in Canada. And the burn in my heart was unmistakable. I needed him, ended to be with him, more than anything. The day I bumped into him was probably the closest to joyful I had lived in a while. And the rest was history. He loves me. He, someone so pure, loves the poor heartless Russian assassin I am. Even if our happiness was only temporary, I am still glad the stars allowed us to live it. _

_I always knew I was going to die alone. _

_So I am. _

***

« Wanda, please tell me you can feel something »

« I can but it’s very low, barely above a whisper… » 

« Which way? »

« Left. Now. » 

Sneaking into the hallway, Wanda and Steve progress slowly as they try to find the redhead. Thirty minutes have passed and still nothing. 

« Are you sure? We’ve been wandering for half an hour! »

« Yes I am sure but you also asked me to avoid any enemies, that’s not my fault! » 

Pinching his nose, Steve sighs loudly. 

« I am sorry Wanda, I didn’t mean to- »

« It’s okay » she cuts him, a hand on his shoulder, « I know. Let’s go, enemies are on their way. »

Nodding, they run again through the corridors, following Wanda’s intuitions. Thanks to the young witch, they only meet a few enemies, finishing them before they can even open their mouths. 

« Steve stop! » she yells suddenly. 

Stopping, Steve turns around and looks at her. Wanda fixes the wall, and slowly brings a hand on it. She closes her eyes and Steve can see goosebumps running down her spine and arms. 

« She is here » she affirms, staring at the wall, « behind this wall. The feeling is stronger. Steve, she is here! » 

« Step back » he orders. 

When she does so, Steve starts punching the wall with all his might. He can feel it too. She is here, finally here, his soul reaching to hers like a magnet. Their bond stronger than the universe guides his movements, telling him to hit, again and again, urging him to find his soulmate. His knuckles are bruising but he can’t stop, he can’t. Red strings envelop his fists and he doesn’t have to turn to know that Wanda is doing this to protect him, to allow him to go harder. Slowly but surely, the wall breaks, and when the last remaining parts fall, he steps in without hesitation, looking around frankly for her. 

When he sees her, his knees almost give up under him. Air stops around him, blocking his lungs. Step by step, he comes closer to the one his heart chose, taking her in. She is in a bad shape, he knows that, but he doesn’t know to what extend. 

When he finally reaches her, he looks at her face and this alone breaks his heart. She is so pale, so thin, so sad. Even unconscious, sadness tears her features. Carefully, he brings a hand to her cheek and strokes it with his thumb. Her scent invades him and he is complete again. Right where he belongs. It feels so right having her in his arms again. 

« Steve? Steve we have to move, we have to get her out. »

Brought back to his senses, Steve steps away to look at Wanda. He nods before scooping the redhead in his arms. _So light_ he thinks. He starts walking away when she whimpers in his arms. He looks at her, hoping, praying for her to open her beautiful green eyes. She moves a bit before opening her eyes. 

When orbs meet orbs, fireworks explode. There’s confusion then recognition in the eyes. 

« Steve… » she whispers then coughs. 

« Shhh… It is okay, baby, it’s all okay I am here now… I got you, my love. »

Her breath quickens and tears fill her eyes. 

« Steve- The baby- I am so sorry- I c-couldn’t »

Steve brings a finger to her lips to silence her. He presses his forehead against hers. 

« I know, » he whispers before pressing a chaste kiss to her lips « I know baby, I know. But I got you back in my arms and it’s all gonna be okay now I promise. »

She nods, a few tears on her cheeks, closing her eyes again, exhausted. 

Quickly moving, Steve and Wanda make their way back to the jet. Natasha’s breathing is the only thing keeping them awake, the only thing they focus on. That’s their mistake. As they step into another room, they are so focused on Natasha that they miss the group of alien soldiers coming at the same time. In no time, a grenade lands and explodes next to them. It sent them flying backward, and Natasha screams in agony as she hits the wall and slips to the ground. She whimpers, her vision blurry and when she coughs, she tastes blood on her tongue. Her ears ring and she feels herself being lift again, wrapped in Steves's arms as red strings send their enemies crashing to the ground. 

_Wanda. Wanda is here too. _

Seconds slip, slowly as they rush out. Natasha tries to hold on, she really does but black spots invade her vision. It’s getting harder and harder to breathe. She feels the change in the air as they step out finally, the fresh blow cooling her burning skin. She chokes as a painful squeeze touches her heart.

« Steve… » she tries to let out. « Steve… »

Looking down, ocean eyes meet emerald ones. A sorrow cry escapes Steve’s throat as he sees life escaping her.

« Please Tasha, stay with me a little more… » he speeds up, as Wanda starts struggling next to him, fear written on her features. 

« I… love… love… you… S-Steve…» she cries out.

Her heart gives up just as they step on the jet.

Steve screams.

And beside him, Wanda faints. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sincerely sorry. 
> 
> Next chapter soon, the fight goes on, Steve has really nothing to loose now.


End file.
